


Run Away With Me

by fansie_06 (NocashBroadwaytrash)



Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Newsies - Broadway, Run Away With Me Kerrigan-Lowdermilk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:21:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 27,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27619645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NocashBroadwaytrash/pseuds/fansie_06
Summary: Modern Newsies AU where the newsies are all running away to New York to pursue their dreams. Amid unstable living and work conditions, Jack Kelly falls head over heels for miss Katherine Plumber. But he just can't put his feelings into words. Katherine is trying to pursue her dreams, but it proves more difficult than she imagines. Can they overcome their trials, and make a life in the big city?
Relationships: Jack Kelly/Katherine Plumber Pulitzer, Spot Conlon/Racetrack Higgins
Comments: 10
Kudos: 11





	1. Katherine's POV

**Author's Note:**

> Please tell me what you think! I'd love to hear any suggestions you have!

"Hurry up, Katherine!" Race calls. He would want me to hurry up. Spot left for New York over a month ago, to look for a place for us to stay. Jack only got word yesterday that Spot's found a place. It's the middle of the night. I'm trying to shove my luggage through my first story window. I can hear Albert groan as I send out my 3rd suitcase. 

"C'mon, Katherine, how many clothes do you need" he whines. 

"As many as it takes!" I state. " Besides, that's the last one,". I don't have the heart to tell him that the first two were my clothes, and the one he has is accessories. Davey won't let me bring my phone though. Something to do with tracking, or whatever. I'm actually pretty surprised that Davey is going through with this. He can't bring Les, we all know that. He's too young, he needs his mother. But Davey loves Les a lot. It's going to be hard for him to leave. Jack's tried to talk him out of it, saying that his family needs him, there's plenty of opportunity here in Kansas. But that's not true, and he knows it. At least, not as much opportunity as there is in New York. 

Which brings us back to now. It feels kind of surreal. Most of the boys don't have much to leave behind. But for me, I'm kind of leaving everything behind. A life of privilege and comfort. A house. My own room. School, I am going to miss school. Not math, mind you. I will miss Kansas City. I was born here. My father was born here. My mother died here. I miss her everyday. But I'm sure she would've wanted this, in all honesty. She was all for unorthodox methods, as long as it made me happy. And it will. Once we make it to New York. 

I make to hop out of my window. I swing my legs out, and hesitate. I don't like heights. Not in the slightest bit. I know I'm on the first floor, but it's still a 3 foot jump! At least! Jack see's my hesitation, and laughs. 

"C'mon Kathy, let's get going!" he says. "You're not afraid of a little jump, are you?"

"No!" I protest. "A little," I admit sheepishly. He laughs again, and walks over to help me out. Jack helps me down, and as my feet hit the ground, I think his hands linger just a fraction of a second on my waist. Maybe he just spaced out. Maybe it was my imagination. Doesn't really matter though, not right now. I shake the thought from my mind and focus on the journey ahead. 

We've decided that we can't take my car. Another thing I'll miss. But it's too recognizable. My beautiful 2006 cherry red corvette. Les has given her the name Sally. She doesn't have enough room anyway. So, instead of driving in Sally, we're taking Frank. Davey's car. He drives an old 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan. White, of all colors. It always looks dirty! But it'll fit us all, (barely). And we'll have room for my stuff, and the considerably smaller compilation of the boys' stuff. 

Yes, I know a lot about cars. My dad owns a string of dealerships here in the midwest. He just has a passion for cars. I suppose I like cars. But, unlike my father's desire, I don't want to take over for him when he's done. My mom always supported my dreams though. I really want to go into reporting. That's why I was okay with going to New York. A city of dreams. A place to be whatever you feel like. I think that'll be good for the boys too. A lot of them have been shoved into a box, restricted by their less than perfect circumstances. But not in New York. Now I know it won't be easy. But it can't be much worse than how it's been . 

The boys have graciously given me a middle row seat. Davey is driving, and Jack has shotgun, (of course). Me and Crutchie are in the middle seats, and Race, Albert and Jojo all got shoved in the back. But I'm sure that'll change. The interior of the car is predictably very clean. But I'm sure that'll change as well. Davey, Jack and I are the only ones allowed to drive, so we have a rotation schedule. It's an 18 hour 40 minute drive. I think it's going to be closer to 20 with pit stops and what not. We'll take 2 hour shifts. 

Davey turns to us all

"Everyone ready to go?"

A chorus of affirmations echo back

"Everyone got all their stuff?"

Again, nods and yes'. 

"Everyone used the _restroom?_ "

The entire back row quickly unbuckles and gets out. Jack and Davey chuckle in the front row. I can't believe we're finally doing this. Jack's been talking for months how New York is where it's at, how great it is there. How big everything is. Only recently did we start seriously talking about it. Davey graduated early, last year. Jack and I graduated this year. We purposely waited 'til the summer to leave. Crutchie insists that he doesn't need to graduate, and the other 3 are overjoyed that they don't have to graduate. Jojo and Albert could probably get into a small college if they wanted, and Race could probably go really far if he tried. 

And so we begun planning. Davey, Jack and I are legally adults, so we can do as we please. Race's got another month or so. The others are at least 3 months out. But, sadly, we don't think they're going to be looked for very hard. And so we planned. So now that Spot's found us a place, we can go. 

Albert, Jojo and Race all get back in the car. Davey puts the car in drive, and we start pulling out. This is crazy! But here I am, all the same. Me, Katherine Andi Plumber. Leaving Kansas. Heading out into the world. The last thing I see before I nod off is a sign that says "Leaving Kansas. Come Again Soon!". 


	2. Jack's POV

I've finally done it. I got out. It's 1 am. Davey's been driving for about an hour. I know should get some sleep, but I can't. I've never left Kansas. I'm a little underwhelmed. I don't know, I guess I just expected some big change when we left. But it looks very much the same, a long road and endless plains. I'm sure it'll change though. I've seen pictures of New York, and it sure doesn't look like this. Behind us in the back seats, everyone else is asleep. Crutchie is curled up in a little ball. I think this will be good for him. See the sights. Get out of boxy Kansas. He's always been limited because of his leg. I hope he'll see that can do anything he wants. 

Katherine has her head resting against the window. She looks so peaceful right now. I'm glad she's here. Not so happy about her 3 bags of luggage, but I suppose it could've been worse. She's going to love New York. I know it. I also know this is hard for her. Leaving her hometown and her dad. Still, she's here. I turn my head to the back seat. The sight makes me smile. Jojo's sitting in the middle with his arm around Albert. Race has his head on Jojo's shoulder. Those boys deserve so much more. 

Davey catches me smiling. 

"And what're _you_ smiling about" he says, with a smirk of his own. 

"I'm just happy," I say. And it's true. "I'm finally doing what I've always wanted to do. And I know that you will all love New York. How about you Davey? How are you holding up?"

"I'm okay," he says with a shrug. "My family will be okay. They're smart. Les. . ." he trails off. 

"Hey," I look him in the eye. "Les is going to be fine. Okay?"

"Okay" he sighs. I'm not sure whether I've made things better or not, but what's done is done. I look back at the clock. 1:23. My turn starts at 2. I sigh. As much as I want to go to New York, I wish we could skip all the driving. But we can't afford airplane tickets, and most of us are still minors, without passports. It'll be better when everyone's awake, and we can talk and joke around. Davey's done the math. He says we're going to get to the apartment around 10pm tomorrow. Well, today I guess. That means, . . . ?

"Hey Davey, how much longer 'til we're there?" I inquire. Inquire? I spend too much time with Davey. 

"Umm, 18 hours. 18 and a half" he answers. 

"Ugh," I groan. "That's so long."

"Hey, you're the one who wanted to do this. We're doing this . ."

"Ya ya ya, for me. I get it," I interrupt. "But still. Driving's no fun when there's no one to talk to."

"What am I then?" he scoffs. 

"Alright then, explain why I'm still bored?" I ask. 

"Why don't we play a game?"

"What kind of game?" I have to be careful with this. This could go either way. 

"How about I spy?"

"I spy?"

"What? Fine, how about the ABC game?"

"The ABC game?"

"You look at road sign and try to . . ."

"Ya, I know what the ABC game is, Davey." Prospects aren't looking to good. 

"Fine, okay. How about 20 questions?" he proposes. 

"Okay fine. I'll start." I begin to think of something in my head. I can't be predictable. I'm always so predictable. 

"Okay, I've got it,". I've chosen a porcupine. Let us see him guess that.

"Okay. Is this thing living?"

"Yes."

"Is it an animal?"

"Yes"

"Is it smaller than, say, a basketball?" he asks. I don't know! I don't know what size a porcupine is! I think it's smaller though . . .

"Yes" I decide. 

"Would you keep this thing as a pet?"

"No. I mean, you could, but you wouldn't."

"Alright. Is this animal a mammal"

What?

"Yes"

"Okay. Is this animal a rodent?"

A rodent? Is it? 

"Yes" I think.

"Is it around the same size as a raccoon?"

"yyYes." He's getting too close. How does he do that?! 

"Is it a raccoon?"

"No". Maybe I'll be okay. 

"Is it a hedgehog?"

"No"

"How about a beaver?"

"No." A beaver? I'm going to be fine. "You've only got 10 left". 

"Okay. Is it a gopher?"

"No. C'mon Davey, you can do better."

"Alright. Is it," he pauses to smirk at me. "A porcupine?"

"How?! How could you possibly know that?"

"Well, it was pretty easy once I figured out it's size and that it was a rodent. Seeing as you don't know very many rodents, I was bound to hit it eventually." 

"But how did you _know_? You smirked at me!"

"Oh. Got lucky, I guess," he says. 

"Pff. Lucky," I mutter. I look at the clock again. 1:45. Ugh. This is taking forever. Davey clearly sees the exasperation on my face. 

"You know, if you try to sleep, the time will go faster," he says. 

"Mm-hmm. Sure." But I know he's right. Davey's always right. So I turn over, and close my eyes. I must be more tired than I realized, because I fall asleep within minutes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment!


	3. Katherine's POV

I woke up to the sunlight kissing the horizon. It was a beautiful sunrise, filled with oranges and yellows, with touches of pink. It was beautiful. We do have beautiful sunrises in Kansas. But wait. We're not in Kansas anymore. And I'm not in my bed. 

The events of the previous night come flooding back to me. But the bout of homesickness I anticipated doesn't come. Instead, a little sense of accomplishment fills its place. I sit up and stretch my arms. I feel stiff and sore from sleeping in an awkward position. I yawn and turn to look at the sunrise again. 

Wait, _sunrise_? My driving shift was supposed to start at 4am. But Jack is still driving. I look at the clock. 

"8:11!" How did I sleep in so late? Davey turns around to look at me. 

"Oh look, the princess is awake! It's actually 9:11. We've switched time zones."

"Why didn't you guys wake me up?"

"Jack took your shift. Your next one starts at 11," Davey says, matter-of-factly. He reaches up to fix the clock. 

"Uh, thanks Jack," I stutter. 

"Don't mention it. Hey Davey, when do you want to stop for breakfast?"

"Yeah Davey, I'm starving," says a voice from the back. I turn to see that all the boys are, in fact, awake. 

"I thought we'd stop in Cincinnati. I know it's a little out of the way, but they'll have better breakfast options."

"How much longer?" Race cries. 

"It'll be about 11 hours from Cincinnati," Davey says. 

"Well how much longer to Cincinnati?" Albert inquires. 

"A little over an hour."

Collective groans erupted from the back row. Now while I didn't groan out loud, I definitely groaned in my head. I was starving. But oh well. I guess I'd just have to wait. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We arrived in Cincinnati right around 11. We pulled into a gas station mini mart, and went inside. 

"Alright everybody," Davey called. "I'm going to get breakfast. You guys go do what do need to do, or whatever, and meet me at the car in 10 minutes. If there is something specific you want for breakfast, let me know. Do not get into trouble, do not do anything illegal. Just, be good, okay? Yes, Jojo?" Because Jojo had raised his hand. 

"Umm, can I have Skittles for breakfast?" Race, Albert and Crutchie nodded, as if they were wondering the same of themselves. I thought I saw Jack nod as well, but quickly stopped at the look on Davey's face. 

"No. No Skittles for breakfast. But maybe for lunch," he quickly amended at the torn look on the boys' faces. "Okay, 10 minutes. Go!"

As most of the boys ran in one direction, I headed towards the women's room. It's been too long since I used the restroom. Opening the door, I was overcome with the scent of cherry soap. I had a newfound disgust for gas station bathrooms. As I washed my hands, I got a good look at myself in the mirror. I was wearing some comfy blue sweats, and a white t-shirt. Like I was going to wear jeans in a car for 20 hours. But my usually kept red hair had fallen apart, and pieces were sticking out here and there. My make-up was smudged, though there was hardly any left. But I guess that's what a road trip will do to you. I dried my hands and walked out. 

I still had 5 minutes, but I headed out to the car anyway. I didn't have anything better to do, and I wanted to enjoy some fresh air while I could. As I walked out, it became apparent that Jack had had a similar idea. 

"Why hello, Kathy," he says. I hate it when he calls me that. My name is Katherine. 

"It's Katherine," I say, rather forcefully. 

"Okay, Kathy." He smirks. Ugh. 

"I, uh. Thanks, again, for, uh, taking my shift," I stumble. 

"Ya, don't mention it."

"You didn't have to do that. You could've woken me up."

"I know. But you looked at peace." And he left it at that. We stood there, in a rather awkward silence for what felt like an hour. But it couldn't of been, because the others had yet to come to my rescue. 

"So, you're finally going to New York." I say, trying to break the silence. 

"Yep." Jack rocks back and forth on his feet. He seems to be in his element, and uncomfortable at the same time. Either way, the conversation gets shut down. Frustrated, I don't make any further attempts at conversation. 

Thankfully, after an eternity, Davey and the others come out. 

"We'll eat breakfast _out here_ ," he says. "I want no food crumbs in my car." Davey pulls out two bags of mini donuts, and a package of juice boxes. We all sit with our backs against the car, eating our breakfast. I can't help but notice that I'm sitting next to Jack. But I'm not going to try to start a conversation, so I eat in silence. Jojo, Albert and Race are snickering to themselves. I look over and see them slip some donuts into their pockets. I smile. I feel bad for Davey's car, but at least they'll have some fun. 

After we've finished, Davey goes to throw away our trash. I get in the driver's seat. Two hours of driving. Davey joins me in the passenger seat, (thank goodness) and we're on our way. 11 more hours 'til New York, and counting. 


	4. Jack's POV

I had a lot more room in the front. But Kathy is sitting there. Fine. Whatever. I took a three hour nap, and now Davey is driving. We've, (Davey and Katherine) decided to have a late lunch, considering we had a late breakfast. Which means our next stop will probably be at 3. When my shift starts. It's a little after 2:15. 45 minutes until my shift starts. Uuuggghhh. I look around to see what everybody else is doing to pass the time. Katherine is reading. Yawn. The back row seems to be in the middle of a very heated game of sticks. Crutchie seems to just be enjoying the scenery. Which is weird, because there is no scenery. We're still in Ohio. We'll pass into Pennsylvania not 5 minutes after I start driving. Supposedly. And then it's just one more state until we're home. Or are we passing through New Jersey? I think we are. 

"Hey Davey, are we going through New Jersey?" I ask. 

"Y-y-ya," he yawns. He really needs to sleep. He's been up since 7am yesterday. It's been over 30 hours since he last slept. I think . . .. Either way, he needs to sleep. He technically has 30 minutes left on his shift, but I mind as well take over for him. He could use the rest. But he'll never let me. He'll go the whole way. But you know what they say. Desperate times call for desperate measures. So be it. 

"Pull over Davey," I say with a groan. "I think I'm going to be sick." This will do the trick. Davey loves his clean car. 

"Okay okay okay, hold on a sec, let me find a turn off!" he says with evident panic in his voice. To add to the illusion, I start breathing heavily. I put my head in between my legs so that no one can see the smile I'm trying to hide. I think Katherine may have seen it though. But if she does, she pays no heed. She just goes back to her book. Davey, slightly speeding now, can't seem to find a turn-off. I groan and clutch my stomach, just for good measure. 

"I'M LOOKING" Davey yells. "Oh finally," he says as he finds an exit. It's now 2:30. 

"We're stopping for lunch, and, . . . breaks," Davey announces. I get out, as does everyone else. I rush inside, not wanting to break the illusion. I figure I'll use the restroom, tell everyone that it's passed, and take over driving for Davey so he can sleep. No one would be the wiser. And it worked perfectly until Katherine. I swear, nothing gets by her! She was back next to the car early, and unfortunately, so was I. 

"I know you weren't really sick," she accuses. "Why did you make us pull off? You know we're only going to take longer because of this?! If you'd-"

"Kathy, I-"

"Don't, interrupt me, and don't call me Kathy. Now, if you'd just let us keep going we could have gotten to New York faster. Now then, what do you have to say for yourself?" At the dumbfounded look on my face, she said "Now's the time when you can talk."

"Oh, right, ya." I looked down at my feet. "Um, I faked being sick so Davey would take a break from driving and I could take over his shift," I say. 

"Oh. I didn't know," she said. 

"That's alright, Kathy. Now you do." Now it was her turn to look at her feet. I noticed that she didn't correct me when I called her Kathy. But I wasn't sure if it was because she was warming up to me or because she felt bad. I decided to go with the former, even though it was probably the later. I hoped it was the former. Standing here, looking at her. She really is quite beautiful. Her red hair, her warm brown eyes, her . . .

"What are you staring at?" Katherine demands. Oh crap. 

"I, uh, um, the car?" I offer. 

"Ya, sure." She rolls her eyes at me. I thank my lucky stars she doesn't press the point the point any further. The backrow trio, a self-proclaimed name, comes out then. Race stops, looks at the two of us, and smirks. Sometimes I think everyone but me knows what's going on. Kathy, Katherine, goes and gets in the passenger seat, after another well earned eye roll. I follow suite, getting in the driver's seat before Davey can. He comes over and knocks on my window. I roll it down. 

"What are you doing," he asks. "I still have 30 minutes."

"Buddy, get some sleep. I want to make to New York in one piece." I pat him on the shoulder. He scowls, but gets in the back. I put the car in reverse and start backing out of the parking spot. As I pull out onto the off ramp, I look back to the back rows. As I thought, Davey is already asleep. The backrow is back to their usual antics. Crutchie is napping as well. Or trying to. I turn my eyes back to the road. Katherine is back to reading her book. I lean over to her. 

"Whatcha reading?" I ask. In response, she holds up the cover to my face. 

"Where the Red Fern Grows" I read. "One of my personal favorites." She sets down her book. 

"You've read Where the Red Fern Grows?" she asks skeptically. 

"Of course! It's a classic!" 

"Oh ya? What's it about?"

"Well, I wouldn't want to spoil it for you. Pretty big ending." Kathy gives me a once over. 

"Okay. I'm sure you'd love to discuss it when I'm done then!" I swallow. 

"Ya, of course!" She seems satisfied, and goes back to her book. I look over at her. She has about half of the book left. I make a mental note to find out what the heck Where the Red Fern Grows is about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank so guys so much for reading my story! I hope you guys are liking it so far.


	5. Katherine's POV

Where the Red Fern Grows? Jack? Yeah right. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt though. I've only got about half of the book left. Now, I could've finished the book before he was even done driving. But I want to see how much effort he's willing to put into this. I mean, he has to have a reason for telling me he read it. I guess it's possible Jack actually read it. But I don't think so. Sometimes I think maybe there's something there, just out of reach. I caught him staring at me earlier. Maybe he was just spacing out. But then again, maybe he wasn't . . .

Why am I even thinking about this? I don't care! It doesn't matter. I shake the thought and look at the dashboard. I started driving at 5. It's now 6:37. 23 more minutes. Well, hopefully 2:23 minutes. Davey's trying to convince Jack and I that he can do his own shift. The one and only time Jack and I will be on the same team. 

"Guys, I want to drive! It's MY car, I should get to drive it!" Davey whined. In all the years I've known Davey, I never knew he could be so CRANKY when he wakes up. 

"Look Davey, you're tired. Just go back to sleep and we'll wake you up when it's your turn," I say. He seems complacent, and begins to lie back down. 

"Nah uh," Jack says. "He has to sleep Katherine! If don't want to keep driving fine, but Davey needs his sleep!" I am disbelieving that he fell for my trick. 

"Come here!" I hiss. Jack moves his head scarcely an inch closer to mine. I grab his head so that it's barely and inch from mine. I can feel the blood rushing to my cheeks, but I will it to go back down. 

"I only said so that Davey would go back to sleep! I wasn't actually going to wake him up!" I whisper-yell. I can see the wave of realization that washes over him, followed by the embarrassment creeping up into his cheeks. He turns around to face Davey as I fix my eyes back on the road. 

"Katherine has convinced me that another half hour of sleep will be good enough. We'll wake you when it's your turn." But by now Davey had caught on. 

"Nuh-uh. No way am I going back to sleep now."

"Great. Now you've done it Jack." I scowled at him. He gave me a very sheepish look. I could feel myself melting. I tried so hard to stay mad at him. I knew resistance was futile, so I sighed and glued my eyes to the road. 

"You know what this car needs?" Jack asks. When nobody suggests anything, he continues. 

"Music!" He opens the glove box, looking for CD's. He pulls out a few and begins reading off the titles. 

"AC/DC? Pink Floyd? Styx?" He turns and looks at Davey. 

"Yes. You got a problem with that?"

"No, it's just. Didn't peg you as a classic rock person."

"Well, what did you peg me as?" Davey asks with a pointed look. 

"Umm, I really don't know. Anyway, there's got to be some good radio stations on here, if I just," Jack says. He fiddles with the knobs until he finds a radio station playing 'the greatest hits of the 80's, 90's and today!' He bops his head along with American Pie as it comes on. I have to admit, the music is nice. I begin to get into the music when I hear a groan from the back-seat. 

"Ugh, Katherine! When are we going to get dinner?" Albert whines. I was personally hoping to go all the way to New York before we stopped again. 

"Umm, how soon do you need food?" I ask. 

"Well," Jojo starts. "I could go an hour without food, but I would like a rest stop sometime soon." I silently groan to myself. Davey pulls out his laptop, which by the way, seems unfair. How come he can have his laptop but I can't have my phone? I mean, I know why, but still. I don't like it. 

"Okay. We can stop in Philadelphia," Davey says. 

"Okay, how long until Philadelphia?" Crutchie asks. 

"5 ish minutes," Davey replies. I look at the clock. 7:02. I guess I dipped into Davey's time a little bit anyway. 

"Which exit am I taking?" I ask. 

"Uh, 344." I see exit 342 pass outside the window. 

We reach Philadelphia with no problems. I pull into a gas station with a McDonald's.

"Alright everyone. You know the drill. 10 minutes. Everyone okay with cheeseburgers?" Everyone answers with nods and yeah's. 

"Hey Davey, are you going to give me my Skittles yet?" Jojo asks. All the boys, including Jack and Crutchie, echo their collective hurt feelings that Jojo didn't have Skittles. I can't help it. They are just too good. I laugh. Davey looks at me and shakes his head. But then he laughs too. 

"Alright. I'll get your Skittles." Cheers erupt from the whole car. Yes, the whole car. And with that, we all head inside. 

I have a strong determination not to be left outside with Jack this time, so I hide out in the ladies room the whole time. At 1 minute left, I head back out to the car. Everyone but Jack is there. Maybe he had the same idea. We all sit down to eat our burgers as Jack comes out. I notice he has something in his hands, but I don't see what it is. Davey passes out burgers (and Skittles) and we enjoy our last stop until, well, home. 

Davey gets in the driver's seat, and I retreat into the middle row. As we pull out onto the highway, I finally get a glimpse of what Jack has in his hands. It's a copy of Where the Red Fern Grows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for reading my story! I will try to get at least one chapter out a week. Please leave a comment!


	6. Jack's POV

I figured, I'm not driving anymore. Mind as well get something to do. And then I saw it. And I was like, oh my gosh, what are the odds? So I bought it. It's not too bad. A little slow at the beginning, but it's good. Pretty sure Kathy knows I didn't read it now. Oh well. Least she knows I'm trying. 

We're almost there. To New York, I mean. The clock on the dash says 8:47. Our ETA is 9:12, thanks to our latest detour. Which, you know, I'm not complaining. Kathy leans forwards. 

"Whatcha reading?" She asks. I smile to myself. In response, I hold up the cover of my book to her face. Katherine laughs. It's a warm sound, full of joy and sweetness.

"Where the Red Fern Grows," she reads. "One of my personal favorites."

"You've read Where the -"

"No, no." Kathy interrupts. "We're done with that now." 

"O-, okay." I stutter. She gives me a small smile. 

"Are you excited?"

"What?" I ask. 

"I mean, about going to New York. We've got only 20 minutes left." I turn to the dash. She's right. It's 8:52. 

"Um, yeah. I am pretty excited, I guess."

"You don't sound very excited," she points out. 

"What? Oh. I guess I'm just worried that when we get there, I don't know. That it won't . . .," I trail off. 

"That it won't be all that you thought it would be," Kathy finishes for me. I nod. She puts her hand on my shoulder, and I can feel a warmth spread from her hand up into my face. I look up at her. 

"I'm sure it'll be amazing." Kathy reassures. I nod again, and she moves her hand. I wish she hadn't. 

"So, what part are you at in your book? Or chapter maybe. Spoilers," she says with a smirk. I check my book. 

"Chapter 12," I say. 

"Wow. Fast reader."

"It's been two hours," I say. 

"Still. I'm on thirteen though, so tell me what's happening?" Didn't she just read this chapter?

"Um, Billy is trying to find the ghost coon." I say. She has a kind of sad look in her eyes, like she knows something I don't. "What?"

"Nothing!" A smile quickly appears on Kathy's face. "Have fun!" She goes back to reading her own copy. I just sorta shake my head, and try to read. I get through chapter 12, but find I just really can't focus. I'm filled with a nervous energy. 

You ever get that? You know, like when you are going somewhere. You are excited at first, but then you get bored. Your legs cramp and you just feel tired. But then, you're almost there. You start sitting up a little straighter. You take notice of everything thing you see out your window. You can't seem to sit still. Anticipation fills you and you can't help but smile. For no reason other than you're almost there. It's as if you're back at home, Christmas Eve. And you just know, that something great is coming. 

Crutchie takes notice of my restlessness. 

"You okay?" He asks. I turn around and smile. 

"Ya. I'm good. I'm great, in fact." This seems to satisfy his needs. "How are you, Crutchie? Excited?"

He pauses to think for a moment. "Anxious," he decides. 

"What for?"

"Well, because I'm anxious to see the sights. I'm anxious for all the wonderful opportunities we'll have. But I'm also anxious about starting over. About what'll happen." His words ring truth.

"It's going to be great. I know it." And with that we're left with our own thoughts. I sit in silence for a while, but soon my jitters return as I see a road sign that says 'New York City - 10 mi.,' and then I crumbled. I'm bouncing my legs, my eyes are darting all over the place. I start spewing facts I learned about New York years ago. Davey's telling me to calm down, and I'm trying, I really am. I look at the time. 9:03. The city will come into sight any minute now. I glue my eyes to the clock and watch as time passes. 9:04. 9:05. At 9:06, I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn to see Katherine, smiling at me with something in her eyes. Like that of someone giving you the most spectacular gift. 

"Welcome home, Jack. Welcome home to New York City," she says. It takes a minute for what she said to register in my mind, and then I turn around. There it is. New York City. All the insecurities I had leave. It's even more beautiful than I imagined. Towering skyscrapers, windows glistening with the light of the setting sun. People everywhere, taking in the sights of the city. My face is plastered to the window, like a child at the aquarium. There are so many colors, so many buildings. So many things to do, to see. Right now in Kansas, the streets would be almost deserted. But there are people everywhere, shopping, dining, sightseeing. As we drive through the city, I can see the river in the distance, ablaze with the fires of the sunset. 

Who knew New York would inspire such spontaneous poetry? I can't believe I get to live here. Well, Spot says he found a place in lower Manhattan. When I got all bummed out, Davey explained that Manhattan was part of New York City. Well then why not say New York? Lower New York. Or maybe New York South. I don't know. Davey's driving through the streets, very slowly mind you, trying to find our apartment. Spot's friends's mom's brother's girlfriend's ex's son owns these apartments, and is willing to let us stay in this apartment for a lower fee, as long as someone else doesn't come along and offer more. So, you know, we're staying. 

"Is it everything you hoped for?" I turn around to see Kathy looking at me. I turn back to the front. 

"Everything and then some," I reply. And it's true. It's amazing. And we've only scratched the surface.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thanks to everyone who's been reading my work. I really do appreciate it. Please leave a comment with any questions or comments you have! I will try my best to get back to you within 24 hours. Sorry to interrupt your reading. Stay safe and share my story with friends!
> 
> ~ Yours truly, fansie_06


	7. Katherine's POV

So much joy. And laughter. And happiness. Eyes full of wonder and amazement. All the bad just seemed to wash away when we arrived. He looks so beautiful right now . . .

I mean it! IT looks so beautiful, haha! New York City, so much joy and happiness. I really had you going there, didn't I? Thought I was talking about Jack, didn't you? Haha, no, no, I, uh, no. No. Ha. Ha. 

So, New York. Pretty amazing. Lots of buildings. Lots of people. And, uh, lots of, cars? 

"Oh look, we're here!" I say, with a nervous laugh that I didn't mean to make. Jack must've heard it, because he looks at me with one cocked eyebrow. His eyes are so . . . DULL and boring, ha ha, I never noticed. Oh gosh, help.

I unbuckle my seat belt and get out. My legs feel like jelly underneath me, and it takes a moment for me to find my footing. I take a deep breath. The air is different here. It's more . . . wet. Probably because we're right next to the ocean. I take a look at the building. It's bland, white paint chipping off in places. It's rated pretty highly online. Maybe it's nicer inside. But hey, it's home. I walk around to the back of the car. Albert and Jack are already unpacking stuff. I grab a couple of my bags and start - 

"SPOTTY!" Race yells. He drops the bags in his hands and runs over. Race wraps Spot in a warm embrace and kisses him hard. Spot tries to pull away. 

"Not now, Race," Spot says firmly. But I see him smile as Race takes his hand and they walk up to the apartment, leaving us to take the bags. But that's okay. I'm sure they've really missed each other the last few months. Month. I can't believe it's only been a month. And it's only been a day since we left. Not even. I wonder what my dad is doing right now. Is he looking for me? He probably thinks I'm spending the night at Sarah's. How wrong he is. 

There's 6 of us, and 12 bags. Davey and Jack took 2, and Spot didn't take all of his stuff when he came out here. Logically, we should all take two. But Crutchie can't really carry two, though he insists on taking one. We all try to take the third bag, but none of us can. 

"I'll come back for it in a bit," I say. 

"You sure?" Davey asks. 

"Ya. It's my bag after all," I point out. He nods, and we all head to our apartment. As we walk in to the lobby, I see my presumption was right. It does have a nice interior. I mean, it's not fancy, but it's nice. Tile flooring, and some small chandeliers. We're part of several apartment buildings that form a sort of circle around an outdoor courtyard of sorts. Davey heads up to the desk. A stern looking lady with her auburn hair in a tight bun looks down at us as we walk up. 

"Hi, um, do you know which building room 219 is in?" 

She scoffs. "Building 4." 

"Uh, thanks," Davey says. We head out the door. The building next to the lobby has a big 1 on it, so we head in that direction. It turns out we are directly opposite the lobby, and there is a whole other parking lot on this side. Jack hits the up button on the elevator. 

"No fair, I wanted to press the button!" Jojo pouts. 

"You can press the one on the inside." Jack says.

"But I want to press the one on the inside!" Albert whines. 

"Ugh! Fine, how about you press it together?" They nod, but still seem unhappy with the compromise. We all pile into the elevator. Jojo and Albert press the 2 button, together. It slowly moves upward, with a loud creaking noise. Davey's eyes grow wide, and he firmly grasps the railing.

"You okay?" I ask loudly over the grinding of the gears. 

"Ya, of course. Except, you know, we're going to die in here. Other than that? I'm fine." I shake my head and chuckle. The elevator dings, and the doors open to a carpeted hallway. The walls are painted a rust orange that clashes violently with the wine coloured carpet. Davey pushes past everyone and heads to our room. We're at the very end of the hallway on the left. There's a large window where the back wall would be. I look out of it, and quickly think better of it, because we are very high up. We head into the apartment. 

On my left, is a small kitchen with a bar. Well, medium. Past that is a small living room. It contains a couch, two chairs, and a television. Past the living room is a sliding glass door that leads out to the balcony. Two hallways branch of either side of the living room, each leading to a bedroom and a bathroom. 

"Wow Spot, this place looks great!" Crutchie exclaims. 

"Yeah! Where did all the furniture come from though?" Davey asks. 

"Um, I actually got the place last week," Spot says, scratching his head. "I spent the last week getting some furniture to give it a more homey look."

"Aww, Spot!" Race leans over and gives him a kiss on the cheek, making him blush the shade of the carpet in the hallway. I smile, and head out to get the other luggage. The elevator doors are beginning to close when I hear someone call my name. I put my hand between the doors, and stick my head out just in time to see Jack hop in the elevator. 

"What are you doing?" I try to ask, but the elevator drowns me out. 

"What?" he asks. I hold up a finger, and when the elevator stops I ask again. 

"Oh. I brought the keys. I thought someone should move the car to the other parking lot." Jack says. 

"Oh. Smart." 

"Yeah, it was Davey's idea." We head outside. The sun's dipped behind the horizon, with the darkness slowly filling its place. I shiver. 

"You cold?" Jack asks. 

"A little. It's a lot warmer in Kansas." He laughs. What a nice laugh I think. Wait, uh no. Nope, not right now. I shake my head and shiver again. Jack looks at me. 

"I'm fine. It's just a little chilly," I assure him. He nods, and then takes off running towards the car. Not kidding. I start to run after him, but I'm wearing flip-flops. Eventually, I reach the car. He's already in the drivers seat, and I get in the passenger side. 

"What was that for?" I demand. 

"I was warming up the car for you," he says. "Sorry, I guess I kind of left you back there." I just let out a small hmph. But it is nice and toasty in the car. He puts the car in reverse and starts pulling out. Too soon, we have to go back into the cold. Jack opens the trunk and grabs my luggage. I decide to sit in the car until I have to get out. He opens my door, and hands me a jacket. 

"Come on," he says. "Let's get you inside." He places the jacket on my shoulders and wraps his arms around me. I try to convince myself that it's just a friendly gesture. But a infinitesimal part of me longs for something more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter was kind of long. At least compared to my other chapters. But if you're reading this that means you made it through! So, up until this point I've had this all planned out, so now I only have a vague idea of where I'm going. So, if there is anything or anyone you want to see come into this story, please let me know!


	8. Chapter 8

Oh. My. Gosh. I cannot believe I just left her there. Well, I can a little. But what was I thinking?! Well, I was thinking I would warm up the car for her. But I really should've told her. Oh my gosh. But wait, did you see us walking up to the apartment? Yep, that's me. With my arm around her. And she didn't shrug it off. Point one for me. 

Davey's making us all go to bed right away. He wants to spend the day tomorrow walking around town. Seeing the sights. Because first thing Monday morning we're all going job hunting. Rent's due soon enough and either we pay or we don't stay. Here's our dilemma; We have 5 beds for 8 people. Of course, Race and Spot will share. Kathy will definitely get her own bed. So will Crutchie. Which means me and Davey will share, as will Albert and Jojo. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I may have had a small bed back home, but it was mine. I think I might the cushions from the couch, (because the couch is a hide-a-bed) and make a make-shift bed. Make a make-shift bed. Make a make-shif . . . ya I'm not sure that's right. But the point stands. The thing is, I don't want to offend Davey. Would that offend him? I don't know. I guess we'll see. 

I walk into our bathroom to clean-up before bed. This is a nice bathroom. Two sinks, a big shower and a separate room for the toilet. The counter tops look to be made of tile, just like the floor. I wash my face in the porcelain sink, and reach for my toothbrush. But it's not there. A panic fills me. It feels as if my world is collapsing. I can feel my heart rushing, my palms sweating. The toothbrush that has stuck with me through thick and thin, is gone. i burst through the door to my room and collapse on the bed, sobbing. 

"Jack, what's wrong?" Davey asks. I gasp for air between sobs.

"My *gasp* toothbrush *gasp* is gone!" I cry. 

"Calm down Jack, it's just a toothbrush." 

"But you don't understand," I explain. "Sir Brush-a-lot was my best friend!" I hear Albert and Jojo snicker behind me. "You think its funny?!" I demand. 

"Jack, I found your toothbrush," Katherine says. "It was in your suitcase." Just so you know, that little scene really did happen. I mean, I was faking the whole time, but how was Kathy to know that?! She just assumes I have a really deep attachment to my toothbrush, 'Sir Brush-a-lot.' 

"Y-, yo-, you heard all that?" I stammer. She just nods and hands me my toothbrush. She's more than halfway down the hall when I stutter a feeble 'thank you.' 

"Dude," Albert says. "That's embarrassing! Kathy totally thinks you need your toothbrush to function!" Jojo is laughing so hard that he fell off the bed and is now literally rolling on the floor laughing. 

"It's Katherine," is the only thing I come up with. But Albert is too busy laughing to care. Davey pats my shoulder, and leaves the room. It wouldn't have been so bad if it were only the guys. I would've gotten my toothbrush, we would've laughed, and Jojo would praise me for my acting. But Katherine had to come to my rescue. I sit in shame for a few more seconds before realizing I still have to brush my teeth. As I look at myself in the mirror, I can see that I'm still blushing. There's a knock on the door. I sigh, sure that it's Spot and Race come torment me. 

"Come in," I say. To my surprise, and relief, Crutchie walks in. He boosts himself onto the counter. One good thing to come from his bad leg is his amazing arm strength. He looks at me. 

"I, uh, see you found your toothbrush," he says with a snicker. I give him a look that clearly conveys don't push it. But really, he could push it all he wants. Crutchie is too much of an angle for any of us to get mad at him. I boost myself onto the counter and join him. 

"Do you think you could explain to Katherine that I was acting?" I plead. 

"Never," he says. "But she did seem to find the whole thing quite hilarious." I groan and put my face in my hands. Crutchie just pats my shoulder and leaves. I get off the counter myself and head to my room. I walk in to find that Davey has made a make-shift bed on the floor already. 

"Are you sleeping on the floor?" I ask him. 

"No, you are," he replies. I guess I was destined to sleep on the floor. I walk out to the main room to grab my suitcase. Race and Spot are already asleep on the hide-away, but I'm sure I hear them laugh as I head back to my room. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

I wake up to the smell of bacon. I walk out to the kitchen to find that Race is cooking a breakfast of bacon and eggs. I now am realizing that of all the furniture, we don't have a table. Most of us are eating in the living room, except for 'the backrow trio' (a name that has stuck), who are eating at the small bar. I'm sitting down on the couch when Davey stands up. 

"Alright everyone! As you know, we are walking around downtown today. See the sights, grab some food, and job scout. It is currently 8:17. We are leaving at 9:00. Be ready!" We all nod and give our assurances that we heard him. I finish my breakfast and get up to take a shower and get dressed. I pick out some jeans and a t-shirt Kathy got me for my birthday one year. It has a cartoon cheese on it and it says, "Does this shirt make me look Cheesy?" I hate it with all my being. But I think it's the best option today. 

"5 minutes!" I hear Davey yell. I grab my jacket and head out into the living room.


	9. Katherine's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm know I haven't posted in a while. Sorry! But I hope you all had a fun and safe Thanksgiving, and here you go! Also, I am very open suggestions right now. I'm not sure what I want to do with this story yet, so if there's any characters you want to see, now's the time to ask for them! And as always, please leave a comment and tell me what you think! Thanks!

"5 minutes!" I hear Davey yell. I flip my hair over and put it up in a high ponytail. Usually I'd pin it up, but we're just walking around town today. I grab a sweatshirt out of my suitcase, and head out to the main room. Davey's doing a head count. He looks up and sees me. 

"And there's Katherine! That's everybody!" He says. I look around. Sure enough, everyone is here. I wonder how long they waited for me. I notice that Jack is wearing that t-shirt I bought him. He must be truly mortified about the toothbrush incident. I'll leave Jack alone today, but rest assured he will never hear the end of it. 

We all head out into the hallway. Race presses the down button on the elevator and we wait for it to come. Davey starts to go down the stairs. 

"Impatient much?" Race asks. He wasn't here when we came up yesterday, I remember. 

"No. I just don't fancy dying today, thank you," he says, like that's the kind of sentence he forms everyday. Albert rolls his eyes as the elevator comes up. 

"Hurry everyone, go go go!" Jojo pushes everyone into the elevator. "We have to beat Davey down!" He pushes the 1 button and proceeds to vigorously press the 'close door' button. The doors close eventually, (shocking, I know) and the sound of screeching gears greets my once wholesome ears. I suppose it'll take some getting used to. Everyone but Spot and I has taking to jumping up and down to make it fall faster? I guess? I feel like that would just make it worse, but oh well. It's not like they'd be able to hear me if I told them to stop. As we reach the landing, the boys all rush out. 

"He's not here yet!" Race whisper-yells. "Look natural!" Not 5 seconds later, Davey comes down the stairs. 

"Took you long enough," Jojo drawls, examining his nails and leaning against a wall. Race and Albert come up to Davey, and perfectly in time, snap their fingers in the air and turn around to go stand next to Jojo. It takes all of my will power not to burst out laughing. Davey is speechless, for a moment or two, and then he regroups. 

"Okay!" He claps his hands together. "Game plan for today! As you all know, we're just kind of walking around town today. Getting to know the place. We probably won't do a lot of big things today, seeing as we live here now. Today is mainly about getting a feel for our new home. Where to eat, where to shop. And where to get jobs, if I'm honest. We'll look at the shops this morning, maybe some historical buildings. Then we'll visit Spot at work and get lunch at noon. Then we'll go see some things that aren't indoors. Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, that kind of stuff. Sound good?" 

A chorus of yeah's and nods echo back, and Davey gives a small nod. He checks his watch. "9:23. What time do you need to be to work?" Davey asks Spot. 

"10:00. You've got time," Spot replies. And with that we all head outside. It's supposed to be a nice day today. 88° high, partly cloudy, clear evening. It'll be a great day to visit central park. I've been to New York, twice. Once when I was 7, back before Mom died. I also came here last summer, college browsing. So, I'm kind of an expert now. But as Davey gets 5 minutes from the apartment, I realize that I may never be an expert. There is just so much. 

Slowly, but surely, we reach the restaurant where Spot works. Davey pulls up in front of a bright 50's style cafe. 

"Medda's Cafe and Deli," Jack reads. "Looks alright."

"Miss Medda, the owner, is the best. Hopefully you guys will get to meet her later," Spot says. "Well I'd better get going. See you later!" Spot leans over and gives Race a quick goodbye kiss and heads into the diner. After making sure Spot got in, Davey pulls out. 

"So I thought that today we could go see Rockefeller Center and the Empire State Building," Davey suggests. "And then we'll see what time we have left."

We begin heading to Rockefeller Center. Traffic's heavy, even in the late morning. Nonetheless, my face, like everyone else's, is plastered to the window. There's just so much to see. Tons of buildings and people. Sorry. It's just so different from what I'm used to. Eventually I see the Empire State Building in the distance.

After many frustrating minutes, Davey manages to find parking and we head inside the Rockefeller Center. It's so big. As I look around, I have a sinking feeling that I'm going to spend a lot of money on this trip. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was right. After two hours of exploring in and out of shops, I have spent over 200 bucks. Which may not seem like much, but when you don't have a job, that's 2 months of groceries down the drain. Oh well. No regrets. I got some cute shirts and a mug that says 'I ♡ NYC' with the Rockefeller center in the background. I also spent a lot on the boys, buying various toys and trinkets. The only one who didn't ask me for money was Davey. And sorta Jack. I lent him 10 dollars, but I'm not sure what for. He didn't say. We pop back in the car, now laden with various touristy junk, and head to our next stop. 

It's big. I mean, really big. I'm thinking about how grateful I am that we aren't going up there when Davey calls us all over. 

"Look what I got!" He holds up tickets. 

"Oh my gosh! What show are we going to see!" I ask assuming they're tickets to a Broadway show. 

"Um, no." Davey says. "We're going to the top!" He points to the building. My stomach drops.


	10. Jack's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm sure some of you will notice, but I made quite a few references in this chapter, (at least I think it's quite a few.) If you would like to indulge me, I'm interested to see how many you catch, so let me know in the comments down below!

Oh man, this is going to be so cool! There's 102 stories, and it's over 1,000 feet tall! To some, that may seem too high. Like Kathy. She looks like she's going to be sick. But I love being up high. It makes you feel so big and so small at the same time. And I can only imagine how amplified that will be from up there. The tallest building I've been in was the 3rd floor of the apartment I lived in back in Kansas. But 102 stories! I may have failed pre-calc, but I'm pretty sure 102 is bigger than 3. 

"Davey, this is so cool!" Crutchie says, voicing my thoughts. "When can we go?" 

Davey looks at his watch. "Well, we can go right now if you like. It's 12:11. How about we head up there and then we'll get lunch?" 

We nod, and then Davey heads toward the building. We all make to follow him. I notice Kathy pulling up the rear, and looking rather hesitant. I fall back, remembering her great fear of heights. And when I say great, I mean great. She wouldn't jump from her first floor window! It was only, like, 3 feet! But, I have an irrational fear of spiders, so I can't really judge. Especially the tarantulas. I hate them. 

"So, 102 stories. 1,000 feet up. Should be a pretty great view, don't you think?" I say. She looks at me with fear in her eyes, and I'm pretty sure I've said the wrong thing. I try to amend myself. "I mean, that's just what I read. I'm sure we won't be going that high. I mean, we'll still be pretty high up. I mean, it probably won't seem that high once we're up there. I mean-"

"You're babbling." Katherine says. I shut my mouth. "But you're right. I'm sure it'll be fun," she says, very un-enthusiastically. I decided to leave at that though. We walked into the building, and Davey went to talk to someone about our tickets and such. It never ceases to amaze me how much bigger things are in New York. 

"Guys," Davey calls, and waves us over. We reach the elevator, and Davey presses the up button. I see a look of disappointment on Jojo's face. We all step into the elevator, and the relief shows on Davey's face when it doesn't creak and moan. That elevator at our apartment has scarred him. Instead, our ears are greeted with subtle 'dings.' I watch as the numbers tick away on the display screen. 56, 57. 71, 72. 99, 100. Finally we reach the roof and step out onto the crowded landing. 

The sight takes my breath away. Splayed out in front of me is New York City. Albert and Jojo push their way to the front, followed by Davey and Crutchie apologizing to people as they go. Crutchie's eyes go wide as he takes in the view. I put my arm around him. 

"Look at us," I say. "High above the stinkin' streets of New York." He looks up and smiles at me. We stand there for a moment and then I look around. I spot Katherine near the door, not daring go closer to the edge. 

"C'mon," I say, pulling her arm. She resists the whole way, and as soon as I let go she starts to run away again. 

"Hey, come back! Where're you going?" I grab her arm and pull Kathy back to the edge. She refuses to look. "You gotta look some time."

"No, no I don't!" Kathy says. 

"Oh come on Kathy!"

She opens her eyes to glare at me, and her breath catches as she looks at the city. I lean in real close. 

"Whatcha think?" I whisper in Katherine's ear. It startles her and she jumps. 

"Don't scare me like that!" She screams. "I could've fallen over the edge!!!" I laugh, because we both know that would never have happened. She turns back to the view and sighs. "It's breathtaking." I see my chance and I take it. 

"Just like someone else I know," I say. Kathy looks at me, and for a moment I think we connect, but then she pushes me playfully. 

"Shut up. None of your bribes-" she points at my shirt. "-will make me forget the toothbrush thing." Kathy laughs and walks away. Crap. That's like, a double smack in the face. Not only did I get friend-zoned, but she isn't buying the t-shirt thing, which means I wore this stupid shirt for no reason. Urgh!

Race comes and taps me on the shoulder, wrenching me from my daze. I turn to look at him. 

"Uh, Davey says it's time to go." I nod take one last look at the skyline. This beautiful city. I can only imagine how much more beautiful it looks at night. 

We take the elevator back down and I see a sadness in Davey's eyes as we step out of it. It makes me laugh to myself. We head out of the lobby and get in Davey's mini van. Kathy would murder me if I ever called it a mini van, but she can't hear what's in my head. At least I don't think she can. I hope she can't. 

As we head back towards the deli where Spot works, I catch Crutchie looking back at the building. And I can't help think that we're thinking the same thing; that we'd never forget that rooftop. All you could see was sky, for forever. With no buildings in your way. And the cool breeze that blew, even though it's July. And we will probably visit again, and we will probably have a very similar experience. But there's nothing better than the original, baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got nothing new to say, so leave and comment please! how many references did ya find? ;)


	11. Katherine's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise, something big is coming up. I think. Um, thank you and please leave a comment!

I have mixed feelings about that. I mean, we were so high! Jack said it was over 1,000 feet tall! We were on the roof! But, the view was spectacular. I could see everything. Or least it felt like I could. I guess I'm glad I did it, but I won't be in a hurry to go again anytime soon. 

Right now we're driving through the streets, towards Medda's Deli, where Spot works. We'll stop for lunch there and then we'll head over to Central Park. I am positively starving. I know we had breakfast only 4 ish hours ago, but I feel like it's been forever.

Davey finds a parking spot a block away from the deli. As we begin walking, it amazes me how heavy the foot traffic is. I think it'll cool down in the winter though. Hopefully. 

We walk into the 50's style cafe and slide into a red booth. Well, two. Race, Albert and Jojo slide into one and Davey, Jack, Crutchie and I slide into another. Other than us, there's 4 people in the deli. A group of friends laugh loudly at a nearby table and someone who could be a college student has his laptop up in front of him. 

Spot comes over to talk to Race and the others. I mean, the boys in the other booth. I'm back to back with their booth, so I turn around, as does Jack who's sitting next to me. 

"So, how's your day been so far?" Spot asks. Race begins to speak, but Jojo jumps in excitedly. 

"We went to the Empire Building, an-" Jojo starts. 

"It's the Empire State Building." Race grumbles. 

"Right, that." Jojo says, oblivious to Race's discontent. "Anyway, we went all the way to the top, and we saw the whole city. It was so tall, we could practically see the whole world." He nods his head as if that was in fact possible. I have to stifle a laugh, because sometimes I think he's a 7 year old in a 17 year old body. Spot starts to say something, but then a cheerful looking lady comes over. 

"Just what do you think you're doing young man?" She asks Spot pointedly. But she can't be serious, because she's smiling wide. Unless she's evil. She might be evil. 

Spot laughs. Not evil then. "These are my friends, Albert, Jojo and Race," he says, gesturing to each in turn. 

"Um," Race says, putting his arm around Spot. "I think I qualify as more than a friend." He scoffs in that 'I'm too cool for you' sort of way. The lady gives Spot a look that I think might convey a 'I can't believe you forgot your boyfriend,' disapproving look. Unless I'm wrong, I'm starting to really like this lady. 

"So, who might you be?" I ask her. 

"Oh! I am sorry, I didn't introduce myself." She laughs to herself. "My name is Medda Larkin. But please, call me Medda. I own the joint." Medda gestures to the cafe. I get a better look at her as I step out of my booth to shake her hand. A taller black lady with black hair pulled back into a tall bun. She's a bit on the bigger side, but in that grandma sort of way that's perfect for hugs. She's wearing bell-bottom jeans and a fuchsia shirt with ruffles at the collar. Her wrists are adorned with little bracelets, and golden hoops adorn her ears. She reminds me of one of those hip moms that everyone always loves. 

"I'm Katherine," I say. She shakes my hand and gives me a warm smile. 

"And just who might this dashing young man be?" Medda asks, as Jack steps out too. 

"My name is Jack. Jack Kelly," he says, giving her a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. Medda chuckles and wiggles her finger at him. 

"I can tell I'm going to like you," she says with a smile and a wink. Davey steps out and introduces himself. 

"Nice to meet you Davey. And you are?" Medda asks Crutchie. He gets up to introduce himself. 

"Crutchi- I mean Charles." He sticks out his hand. I give him a weird look, and I'm not the only one. 

"I didn't know your name was Charles," Davey says. 

"Me neither." I say, along with most of the boys. Medda gives us a look of shock. 

"Are you telling me that none of you even knew your friend's name?"

"I did," Jack says. Medda smiles at him again. She turns back to Crutchie. 

"What do you want me to call you, hon?" 

"Um, I go by Crutchie. Don't worry, I like it," he quickly amends at the torn look on Medda's face.

"Well, alright. Spot, sweetie, you still have work to do." Medda gestures to the other customers, but they've all left. "Or not. Well, at least get your friends some food, they must be starving!" This is met with multiple nods and 'yeahs!' Spot just rolls his eyes and takes everyone's order. He walks over to the serving counter. 

"Hey! Mike, Ike, get in here and help me with these orders!" Two identical boys, tall with curly brown hair, come out of the kitchen and help Spot make the sandwiches. 

"Who ordered a pastrami on rye, no mustard?" Mike, or Ike, calls. I get up to go get my sandwich. The boy holds out his hand. 

"I'm Mike," he says. 

"I'm Ike," the other one says. I quickly try to find a defining feature to help me tell them apart. 

"I'm Katherine." They each shake my hand in turn. 

Everyone else gets their food and we all sit and talk and eat and have a good time. Medda makes everyone laugh as she regales us with the most impossible stories of her life. At one point Davey laughs so hard he snorts soda out of his nose, which makes the rest of us start laughing uncontrollably. Seems like the first normal thing to have happened in a long time. It's a nice change of pace.


	12. Jack's POV

"You all don't be strangers now! Pop in anytime," Miss Medda calls after us as we leave the cafe. She made us all have side cramps from laughter, and simply refused to let us pay for our meal. She's so awesome. Medda's the kind of person you want as a mom. I think. 

My mom was never around. She could be dead for all I know. My dad raised me until I was 14, then he left too. Davey's family has looked after me until now. I guess they still are, since Davey is pretty much our mom. That's what brings us all together. We've all lost family, even Davey. His older sister Sarah was hit by a drunk driver not 2 years ago. Really, we were all hit. I really liked Sarah. I had the biggest crush on her. But, beyond that, she was just a generally kind and loving person. Someone anyone could be friends with. But Sarah could kill you with just a look. That's all it took. I'm certain of it. But she's gone, as are most of our parents. Which is why we stick together. 

Oh my gosh, why do I sound so depressing? Do I always sound like this? Maybe this is why Kathy won't take my hints; She doesn't want to. Na. That's not it. She's probably just blinded by my dashing good looks, and my dazzling personality ;). 

Which makes an excellent segue into what we're doing right now! We went to Central Park and hung out there for the day. We're going to go see if Spot can get off work early, because we want to see the Brooklyn Bridge, but he won't let us see it without him. It's currently 6 o'clock. Probably the beginning of the dinner rush. If Medda even gets a dinner rush. Davey parks the van, this time 2 blocks away, and we head towards Medda's. 

"Oh! Back so soon?" Medda exclaims when she sees us. I give her a smile. 

"We were wondering if we could steal Spot from you. We want to go see the Brooklyn Bridge," I say. 

"Oh I see. Alright, but on one condition."

"What would that be?" 

"You all have to come back here afterwards. Help me with the cleanup. And, you have to take dinner with you," Medda says. I side-eye Davey, and he nods. 

"It's a deal." 

Medda claps her hands together and Spot goes to hang up his apron in the back room. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm glad we saved this for last. It's a similar feeling to being on top of the Empire State Building, but calmer, in a way. The eight of us, standing side by side. By some miracle, the only other people are at the other end of the bridge. We look out over the East River, and the rest of the city. The sun has just dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in various shades of pink and blue. A cool breeze blows through my hair, even though it's still warm out. I'm sure that when I have the time, I'll paint this. The sunset behind the city.

Katherine nudges my shoulder. "Pretty amazing isn't it?"

"You think so?" Does she know how high up we are?

"Why wouldn't I?" Kathy asks.

"It's just. . .. Nevermind. It does look amazing. This whole day has been amazing." She nods.

"Well, it's not over yet. We still have to help Medda clean."

"More amazing still." This makes her laugh, which makes me laugh. I look around at everyone else. Jojo and Albert are having an animated conversation. What about, I'm not sure I want to know. Spot stands with his arm around Race, which is quite a feat considering how short he is. The rest of us stand watching the sunset. Well, technically it has already set. We watch the colors slowly fade into a darker blue. When it starts getting chilly, Davey tells us that we should get going. 

"I want everyone in bed on time tonight," he says. "We have a big day tomorrow." 

Jojo groans. "That's what you said last night!"

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

We end up getting back to the cafe at 7, so we wait in a booth until 8 when the cafe closes. Which, comes surprisingly fast. Davey and Kathy discuss getting some more schooling, whilst me and Crutchie tic-tac-toe and sticks. To each their own, I guess. But time only flies when you're having fun. 

"Thank you boys, and girl." Medda says after we finish cleaning up. "Will I be seeing you tomorrow?" 

"I don't know Ms. Larkin," Davey says. "We're all going to try and get jobs tomorrow." 

"Well, why didn't you say so? Why don't some of you come work for me? Now, I can't employ all of you, but I could certainly help some of you!" 

"Oh could you? That would be splendid." Davey says. 

"Of course! Now, I can have about 4 of you come work for me. Which of you want to come work for me?"

"Miss Medda?" Crutchie asks. 

"Yes, sweetie?" 

"Um, I would love to work for you. But, I'm not sure that there's much I could do." 

"Oh, nonsense!" Medda waves her hand through the air, as if she is batting away the negativity. "I have the perfect job for you. How would you like to be the cashier? We can get you a bar stool, so you won't have to stand all day."

Crutchie tried, and failed, to hide his smile. "That would be wonderful." Just when I thought I couldn't like Miss Medda more, she goes and does something like this. I know Crutchie will be an excellent cashier. He's so good with people. He just has a light to him. I'll have to thank Miss Medda later for this. 

Race, Albert, and Jojo all end up volunteering to work for Miss Medda. 

"Excellent! Hours are 10 to 8, and you have a one hour lunch break everyday that you may take whenever. And make sure the rest of you," she points to me, Davey, and Kathy, "still visit. Regularly." We assure her that we will, thank Miss Medda, and head home.


	13. Katherine's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should point out that this story is also on Wattpad. That one is mine, I'm not stealing this. Also, I kinda like this chapter. Please leave a comment and tell me what you think!

I can't believe it's already been a week! September's brought a little nip in the air, but not much. Since most of the boys are (happily) employed at Medda's, Davey, Jack and I have been hard at work looking for jobs. It's been long and tedious, and so far only Davey has found one. Which, no surprise there, since he's super smart and really nice. He's working for the university as a janitor. Pretty degrading for him, but they're offering him free night classes for a decreased salary, so he'll be able to get a better job soon. Jack's at an interview for a job right now, and I'm thinking about just working a minimum wage job and taking some night classes with Davey. 

"That sounds like a good idea." Davey says. He's getting ready to go to work. "We have enough income, that if we stretch it, we technically wouldn't need you to work. Actually, there's an open job at the university cafeteria. I'll talk to them today."

"Oh would you? That would be great." Davey nods, gives me a quick hug, then leaves to work. Without him, it's just me left in the apartment. Jack will probably be home soon. Maybe. I decide I'll do some unpacking and cleaning. I head into mine and Crutchie's room. 

Along with my clothes and such, I did manage to pack a few personal items. I reach into my suitcase and pull out a two photographs. One is of my parents and I. When we came to New York. We're all standing in front of the Statue of Liberty. I was 7, and we all look so happy. My dad was smiling. I mean, he smiles all the time. But it was different after mom died. It never quite reached his eyes. My mom stood with her arm around me, red hair reaching down to her waist. She died less than a year later. It was hard on me, as a little girl, but I grew from it. I didn't let it become my excuse. 

The other photo in my suitcase, is of the eight of us. Spot, Race, Albert, Jojo, Crutchie, Davey, Jack, and I. We took it last year at Davey's graduation. Davey's in his robes, and the rest of us are in dress clothes. We were all at a nearby park, eating an early dinner. Race had just whispered a joke in Spot's ear, which made him laugh so hard that snorted diet coke all over Davey's robe. This surprised Davey, and made the rest of us laugh uncontrollably. Davey's mother, praise her name, managed to capture this exact moment. And to this day, it is probably one of the greatest moments to have ever been caught on camera. 

I place these two pictures on my desk, and turn back to my suitcase. I grab out some decorations that I thought I'd like. I pulled out two posters. One was of a band I was really into when I was younger. The other was a poster from the first Broadway show I saw, Mamma Mia. I set those on my bed, and reach for the last four items in my bag. 

Three of these are books. The first is Peter Pan. I've always loved this story, for as long I can remember. The idea of being able to stay young forever. But also showing that growing up can be good too. The second is Little Women. My mom always said I was just like Jo. Strong and independent, with a little bit of a temper. To this day, it remains one of my favorite books. The third book is Dear Evan Hansen. Now, I've never seen the musical, but I love the book. It conveys that strong message that you don't need to be seen to be happy. That there is _always_ someone to lift you up. And I love it for that. 

The final item in my bag, is a sketch. A portrait, if you will. I saw Jack doodling one time, and I asked if he would draw me. 

"That's what everybody asks," he said. "We're such a narcissistic generation." 

"Oh, narcissistic? Ain't that a fancy word," Davey teased. 

"Yeah yah, it was on my vocabulary test today." Jack pulled out his pencils, and a new sheet of paper. "Now, this is just a sketch. I'm no professional. But please, try to sit still?"

And so I did. I sat still for 5 whole minutes while he sketched, _occasionally_ sneaking glances at my face. 

Finally, Jack sighed and looked up. "It's not my best, but it's close." He hands me the paper. It took my breath away. 

It was me. Right there on the paper. In black and white. But, softer almost. Jack had gotten every curve, every crease. He drew me laughing, and he'd even gotten my smile lines. He'd made me come alive in the paper. He made me beautiful. 

"You still have that?" I jump, as Jack wrenches me from my flashback. 

"Ever heard of knocking?!" 

"The door was open. You still have that?" Jack asks again. I curse myself for not closing the door, because maybe then this awkward moment may have been avoided. 

"Yes, I do." 

"Why?" _Why_ does he care?

"Because. It's a great drawing." I hope this pacifies him. 

"Hmm. Well, lunch time. Want to grab a bite to eat?"

"We can't just eat out whenever we feel like it." Jack knows that. 

"It's a celebration." 

"What for?"

"I got a job. Your turn Kathy." 

"Oh that's great Jack!" I reach up and give him a quick hug. "Alright, I'll get dressed, and then we'll go get something." As he leaves and shuts the door behind him, I pray he didn't see the profound blushing caused by that hug. 


	14. Jack's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think!

She hugged me! Without any malice! Or pressure from me! That my friends, it what we call progress. 

And she still has that drawing. I mean, it is a pretty good drawing. I just don't know why she likes it. She says it's because it's a good drawing, but that can't be the only reason. I could always draw a new one. I guess it doesn't matter that much. 

Since Spot has the car, me and Kathy have to either take the subway, or walk. Since it seems that everything in New York is 2 blocks away, I make the executive decision that we're walking. Which means that I going to need a jacket. I wait on the couch for a few minutes until Kathy comes out. I pull out Davey's laptop, (which is now everyone's laptop) and look for nearby restaurants. I look up as Kathy comes out of her room. 

"So, what are you thinking you want for lunch?" I ask. 

"Um, I don't know. What do you want? It's your celebration after all." 

"Come on, I hate choosing. For my choice, I pick for you to choose." She glares at me, but she thinks about it. 

"You know what? I really want some good chicken. Is there a Chick-fil-A around here?" I pull up the map, and look. 

"Um, it looks like there's one about a mile from here. You up for a walk?"

"Ugh, fine." We grab our coats. "I probably need it anyway." 

* * *

The weather is that perfect temperature where if you where a jacket, you're hot, but if you don't, you're cold. Kathy chose to wear a jacket, I did not. We've been walking for about 15 minutes, and I'm just praying that I know where we're going. I want to start a conversation, but I don't know what to say. But this silence is deafening. 

"So, what did you do today?" I ask. 

"I started unpacking a bit more. Some little things of mine." I nod. I don't want to press further, but she kind of killed the conversation. 

"May I ask what sort of things?" 

She looks at me. "Ya. Um, I brought a couple of books. Some poster, and some photographs. I grabbed that one of us at Davey's graduation last year. That made me laugh." 

"The one where Spot snorted Coke?" 

"That's the one." The thought makes me laugh out loud. That picture is the Holy Grail of all unplanned pictures. It's times like those that make me really and truly appreciate my friends. 

Let me ask you something. Have you ever had a best friend? Someone you trust with your life? Someone who always stick with you no matter what? Someone, who if ever you need someone, is there in a heartbeat? Someone you want to have by your side every step of the way? Someone who you want your kids to know and love someday? And you know, that even if you fall apart, you'll meet up again someday, and remember all the good times you had? 

I hadn't. Not for a long time. But these boys; They showed me what true friendship means. I know, I know, that's super cheesy and everything, but it's true! I know I would stick with them no matter what. And they would do the same. I mean, they did move across the country for me. Sorta kinda. We're pretty much a family. Most of us don't have folks. So we have friends. And I know tha-

"JACK!" Katherine tugs my shirt backward. I come back from my thoughts and realize that I was about to march right into a busy intersection. "Watch where you're going, why don't ya?"

"Sorry. Thanks, though." She stares me down. It takes every bit of me not to crumble. I really can pick 'em, can't I? Kathy's beautiful, but she can be scary. Don't ever get on her bad side. Ever.

"Don't mention it. By the way, before you travel back into that messed up brain of yours, we're here." I look over and see that we have, in fact, arrived. She pushes open the door, and we walk inside. 

"So, whatcha gonna get?" Kathy looks at the menu. 

"Um, do you want to split some chicken nuggets, and some frozen lemonade?" Kathy asks. 

"Sure. But make sure you get some ranch!" She gives me a thumbs up and goes to order, while I find us a table. Which isn't too hard, but the restaurant is pretty full. I find us a small table near the front. After a few minutes, Kathy comes back and sits down. 

"Did you order ranch?" I ask. 

"Yes Jack, I got you ranch. And some other stuff too." I nod and look out the window. Outside, cars and people and buses and all manner of things pass us by. 

"Do ever think that life is just passing us by? Like everything is just moving so fast and you're trying to catch up, but then you're thrown into another race, and you have to learn a whole new course. And then by the time you do, you're falling behind again, and you just feel like you'll never be able to catch up?" I look over at Kathy, hoping she doesn't think I'm crazy. 

"Um, I guess. But I think it's more like a storm. We're always being tossed around, and the only way to navigate it is to find something to hold onto." I nod. "Speaking of which, what's your new job?" 

I blink at her. How did she make _that_ segue? Doesn't matter, I guess. I'm just happy for communication. I'm unsure just how much I want to tell her. Truth is, I only applied for the job because I was sure I wouldn't get it. 

"Um, nothing fancy. Just a regular old job." 

"Come on, it can't be worse than Davey's job."

"No, it's not that, it's just . . ." I trail off. 

"Jack," she grabs my hand. "Please? I won't tell if you don't want me to." I realize I have no good reason not to tell her. So I take a deep breath. 

"Igotajobworkingforalocalpaper," I say. More like word vomit. 

"What? Jack, slow down." Ugh. Why can't she understand my incoherent nonsense?! That was a rhetorical question. 

"Okay. Um, I got a job working for a local paper." 

"Wow, that's great! I didn't know you wanted to be a reporter too!" 

"Uh, ya. I'm not the reporter." She gives me a puzzled look. 

"Then what are you doing?"

"Uhm, I draw the daily cartoon." 

"Oh my gosh! You're perfect for that job! You're such a great artist, and now the world is going to be able to see it!" Kathy clapped her hands together. 

"Relax, it's a local paper." But she's still smiling at me 5 minutes later when our food arrives. 


	15. Katherine's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the late arrival. I've been busy with family the last few days. But I hope the little extra length was worth it. I'm pretty excited for this chapter. Things are picking up! Please leave a comment and tell me what you think! Merry Christmas!

I ordered the big 30 nuggets. That seems like a lot for two people, right? But I feel like Chick-fil-A's chicken nuggets are really small. Do you find that because I totally find that. 

We eat and make small talk. But my mind is elsewhere. I know Jack probably wasn't stoked on telling me about his job because he thought I'd be jealous. Maybe I am a little. But I'm more happy for him. His art has always been a quiet thing he did. But he's SO good, and this could help his art to go somewhere, so I will help him in any way I can. 

"Kathy!" I whip my head around so hard that I crack my neck. Jack's hand is on mine. He quickly takes it back when he sees me staring. He stares down at his lap. 

"What?" I ask. He looks up. 

"I called your name like 5 times. Anyway, um, do you wanna head home?" I look at my watch. Jack got it for me on my birthday. It's 2:12, plus the 25 minute walk home. No one else will be home until 7 ish. 

"How about walk around a bit? I mean, we can't really buy anything, but we can look!" Jack looks like the idea of shopping terrifies him, but he nods and we head out into the chill September air. 

* * *

We end up spending the whole day walking the streets of New York. We just walk further and further uptown, so at 6 o'clock we're about an hours walk from home. And we cannot stop laughing. 

"Well, we can call Medda's. Have Spot come pick us up," I suggest, after we've calmed down a bit. Jack looks me in the eye, and we double over in laughter at the thought of Spot having to come pick us up. We must look like complete idiots, but that only seems to make the whole thing funnier. 

Jack takes a deep breath. "Ya. Let's call Medda." We find a nearby pay-phone. "You got any quarters?" 

"Uh," I dig around in my purse. "Ya. How many do you need?" 

"Um, it's 50 cents." I hand him two quarters and he dials up Medda's number. I squeeze myself into the booth so I hear the conversation that follows, because with any luck it'll be a good one. After two rings, one of the twins picks up. 

"Medda's Cafe and Deli, what can I do for you?" 

"Hey Mike, can you put Spot on the phone?" 

He sighs. "It's Ike. But yeah. Hold on a sec,-"

We hear some muffled noises in the background and then Spot. 

He sighs. "What do you want Jack?" 

"Um, when do you get off work?" He bites his bottom lip, like he always does when he's nervous. 

"Jack, what'd you do?" 

"I- uh,-" 

"Give me that." I snatch the phone from him. "Hi, Spot, how are you?" 

"I'm fine. Katherine, why does Jack want to know when I get off work?" 

"Okay, so hears the thing." I hear him give an exasperated sigh before I continue. "So, Jack had his job interview today, right?" I eye Jack before I continue. He nods. "Anyway, he gets the job right? So we say, 'Let's go out to celebrate!' But you have the car so we have to walk. And so we walk and get lunch, and Jack's all, 'Should we go home?' And I'm all, 'Let's walk around!' So anyway, we're way uptown now and- Shut up Jack! Anyway, we need you to pick us up after work. Please?" I can almost feel his frustration. 

"You two are unbelievable. I'll come, but I don't get off for an hour. Where should I pick you up?" 

I look at Jack. "Um, maybe Central Park? It's only a little ways from here." I nod. 

"Central Park," I say

"Centr-. What the heck you guys!" I pull the phone away from my ear while Spot lets out his frustration. 

"Sorry!" 

* * *

We watch as the car pulls up at the curb, with all the boys in it except for Davey. I get in the front with Spot. Jack and I promised to keep it together, but look on Spot's face is priceless. He is obviously so ticked at us. I start to laugh which makes Jack laugh, which makes me laugh harder, and it becomes a conundrum. Spot looks a little taken aback. But a smirk begins to creep up on his features that scares me a little. 

"So," he starts. "What were you two lovebirds doing in Central Park so late? Going for a midnight stroll, were we?" The laughter dies immediately. The three boys in the back softly 'oo.' The car suddenly feels really hot, and I just know I'm blushing so hard. But why should I be? Our outing was completely platonic. I try to come up with a witty comeback. 

"It just so happens we needed to be around some tall things after spending the last week with you." Now it was Spot's turn to blush. I turn back to the front, trying not to think about the days events. 

* * *

Davey stands in the doorway when we get back to the apartment. With his hands on his hips, he looks like a mom ready to scold her children for being out after curfew. Everyone else disperses to rooms, but me and Jack stay. 

"What were you two thinking?!" Davey demands. "Hmm? You could've gotten lost! You've only been here for a little over a week! New York is one of the biggest cities in the world! Why, were you wandering the streets of New York this late?!" Jack and I look at each other. We're straight faced, but I can see the smile in his eyes. Davey stands expectantly, and so Jack recounts the whole affair. 

Davey pinches the bridge of his nose and shakes his head. "Well, I'm glad you're okay. And I'm glad you found a job. Speaking of which, Katherine, I found you a job too. Congratulations, you're the newest member of the Baskin Robins team. You start work on Monday, you get weekends off." 

"Thanks," I mumble. Davey collapses on the couch. 

"We're really sorry Davey," Jack says, sitting next to him. 

"Ya, we're really _really_ sorry," I say, sitting on his other side. I can tell he's trying really hard not to smile. 

"We pwomise it will never happen again," Jack pleads, adopting a baby voice, which I follow. 

"Will you _pwease_ forgive us?" I ask. Davey looks at the two of us. 

"Get out of here!" He laughs and pushes us off the couch. We head to our separate rooms. I collapse on my bed and stare at the ceiling. I sit there for a few moments before a voice scares the bejeebees out of me. 

"So, spill." Crutchie curls up next to me. I scoot to make room for him. I sigh and roll my eyes at him. I tell the story again, and I turn to Crutchie. He looks almost sorry for me. 

"What?" I ask. 

"Oh sweetie," he says. "You've got it bad." And with that he leaves the room. 


	16. Jack's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go. Please leave a comment, and have a safe and happy new years!

I sit on the edge of my folding cot. Which, isn't a bed, but it's better than the floor. I'm trying to wrap my head around what happened today. I mean, I know _what_ happened. But I don't really understand _why_ it happened. It's times like this when I'm sure there's something, but then tomorrow's gonna come and change everything. Oh well. 

I sigh and lie down. I've never looked at the ceiling much. Probably because it's pretty boring. It's just one of those popcorn ceilings. They didn't even bother to paint it white. It's that weird off-white color. Like a cream, but ugly. After studying the ceiling as long as I can, (about 10 seconds), I look at the clock on the bed-side table. 7:49. Tomorrow's Saturday. I don't start work 'til Monday, but the boys who work at Medda's will have to work tomorrow. Reduced hours, but still. I turn my attention back to the ceiling, and allow myself to get lost in thought. I exist happily in this fashion for about a minute before a voice scares the living daylights out of me. 

"So, what happened?" I sit up and watch Race, Albert and Jojo come in. I realize that they're probably the only ones who don't know what _really_ happened, seeing as Kathy's probably telling Crutchie now. 

"Ugh, don't you already know?" They exchange side glances. 

"Well, we know what _Spot_ said," Albert says. 

"He told us all about how you two were trouble-makers," Jojo continues. 

"And that you were probably making out-"

"Alright!" I interrupt Race mid-sentence. They giggle. "Fine, I'll tell you. But only because I don't want you to be misinformed." They all pile themselves onto Albert/Jojo's bed as I recap the days events. They're actually a very good audience, laughing and 'oo'ing in all the right places. 

"So-" I say, "-as you can see, there was no _making out_. We just walked a little further than we meant to." 

Race comes up to me and takes my hands. "That, is so, freakin', adorable!" And then he leaves. I scowl and stand up, but I don't have time to reply before Albert approaches. He places one hand on my shoulder. 

"Dude. You. Got. Game!" He laughs to himself as he walks out. I just stare after him. As I turn back around, I jump a little. Jojo now stands in front of me, (and he's got at least a couple inches on me). He hugs me, and then looks in my eyes. His hands linger on my shoulders, and heck if I'm not a little scared about what he's going to say. 

He gives me a sad smile and cocks his head to the side. "Oh honey." And then he just leaves! Exasperatedly, I fling myself onto my camp bed. Which folds underneath me. 

* * *

Eventually, I have to leave the safe haven of my (shared) room. Because throughout all the crazy events of that day, I forgot to have dinner. It's a little after 8 when I venture out, and everyone is watching something on TV. I draw more than a few eyes as I make myself dinner, but they don't say anything. I find some chicken nuggets in the freezer and heat them up. I walk into the living room, and a spot is made for me on the couch. Between Race and Kathy. In an effort to make things less awkward, I lean over toward Kathy. 

"So, what're we watching?" I whisper. 

"The Emperors New Groove ," she whispers back. I nod. I've learned not to question my friends. And also, that movie is awesome, so. I pick up a chicken nugget, realizing that I had chicken nuggets for lunch. I set it back down and hold out the plate to Race. 

"You want some chicken nuggets?" He looks at the plate, and takes it. I turn my attention back to the movie, but then Race gasps. All eyes are now focused on him. And he's staring holes into Davey. 

"What," he chuckles darkly. "In the name of all that is holy, are these!" He shoves a chicken nugget in Davey's face. 

Davey just looks confused. "Um, chicken nuggets?" Race shakes his head. 

"Look, _David_ , I will forgive you this time, because clearly you were misinformed. But I only eat _dino_ nuggets." Davey nods and Spot presses play. Race hands the plate back to me. I don't want them, so I take them back to the kitchen. I put them in the fridge, thinking I'll have them another day. I sigh, and settle back on the couch to watch the movie. 

* * *

I wake up to light streaming in through the window. I go to stretch my arms, but I realize there's something heavy on me. Much too heavy to be a blanket. I look down and see that Kathy has fallen asleep on me. _Oh no_. We must have fallen asleep during the movie. I look around. It doesn't look like anyone else is awake. 

I'm left with a conflict. On one hand, I want to inch myself away so she doesn't wake up have used me as a pillow, because that could definitely be awkward. On the other hand, that could be beautiful, and we could have one of those cute moments you only see in movies. But then there it is. You only see them in movies. So I decide to, slowly, make my move. I start with my arms, moving them up from around her. Then I slowly begin to wiggle my torso out from beneath her. Apparently not slow enough though, because she wakes up. I feel the heat creeping up into my cheeks. 

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," I say. She sits up. 

"No, no, you didn't wake me." She yawns and looks around. Then I see the realization that washes over her face. I see Kathy try to hide it. But I've already seen it. I mumble something about bathroom, and leave. 


	17. Katherine's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh. Oh my goodness you guys, I'm excited for this chapter. I've been looking forward to this chapter for a looong time. I know it's been a while, and I know the chapter's long. But I promise, you gotta read it all. Please. 
> 
> Toward the end, the song (you'll know which song). I didn't say what it was. I know what it is, but I want to give you and opportunity to put your own song there. But, comment below and I'll tell you what it is. 
> 
> I'm just very excited. Enjoy, and please leave a comment!

Oh no. Now I've done it. He probably thinks I hate him. Now everything's going to be awkward. Ugh! 

I head into my own bathroom, and try to freshen up a bit. Brush my teeth and hair. Shower and change into some new clothes. What is today? Saturday? Yeah. That sounds right. I yawn and head out to get some breakfast. 

Spot and Albert are now awake, and Jack's out of the 'bathroom.' It's only now occurring to me; Where did Race and Spot sleep? I get myself a very fancy, plastic bowl out of the cupboard, and begin pouring myself some Fruity Pebbles. 

"So, Spot. I'm sorry I took your bed." He looks at me. There's a smirk on his face that makes my stomach turn. I realize I basically got back at myself for the tree joke yesterday. Darn it. 

"Oh, no. That's quite alright. No harm done." I nod, very disturbed by his formal manner. 

"So, where _did_ you end up?"

"Oh, I slept in Jack's cot." I nod. 

"And Race?" I ask, fearing the answer. Spot's lips curl. He just loves to torture me, doesn't he? He nods behind me, not bothering to give a verbal answer. Slowly, I turn around. There stands Race, in the hallway. To mine and Crutchie's room. Which means he almost indefinitely slept in my bed. My _bed!_ And I can't be mad, because I slept in _his_ bed. This whole thing is just a disaster. Race smiles and walks up to me. 

"Good morning, _Katherine_. How did you sleep?" 

"Just fine, thank you." I say through gritted teeth. I begin to walk away, but Race pulls me back. 

"You're supposed to say, 'how did you sleep, Race?'" I give what I hope is a sickeningly sweet smile, and I see the light in his eyes dim for just a brief moment out of fear. 

"How did _you_ sleep, Race?" He swallows, collecting confidence for his reply. I lean in close to him, daring him to pull away. He doesn't. Instead, he leans in closer, his nose barely an inch from mine. 

"I slept _wonderfully,_ thank you so much for asking!" He stays there for a bit, seemingly daring me to do something. But I don't, and he walks away with a smug look that I would like nothing more than to slap right off his face. In the most friendly and loving way possible, because I do not condone violence.

Instead, I roll my eyes and take a seat at the table. Slowly, Crutchie wakes up, followed by Jojo, and finally, Davey. He comes out with wet hair and clean clothes, looking to the world like a man on a mission. 

"Oh good, you're all up. Listen. So today, since we all are employed now, I thought we'd throw a party of sorts. Spot, will Medda let us use the deli?"

He nods. "Yes. Mind you, she's not too happy about it. We better clean up nicely." Davey nods. 

"Wonderful. So, I have jobs for each of you to do. We'll go in pairs. Except for Spot, Crutchie, Jojo, Albert, and Race. You'll all be working. So, just, stay there after work, I guess." They all nod, and head out the door for work. Davey looks at the rest of us, and his face falls for a moment. 

"Well. 3 of us. Not as many as I had hoped, but better than nothing. So, I guess I'll get food, Jack get party favors, and Katherine, you okay on decoration?" 

"Davey, why do we need party favors? And decor? It's not like it's a big celebration or anything." Jack points out. He stutters. 

"Phft. I was just testing you on you money saving techniques!" He throws his hands up in the air. "Congratulations, you passed." I just roll my eyes, and turn on food network. 

"Well, I'ma crash here today then. You two can go out, or whatever." Davey nods and throws on a jacket. 

"I think I'll crash here too. No reason for the both of us to go out, right?" Jack asks. 

"Ya. You'd probably slow me down anyway." Davey throws on a newsboy cap, and heads out. I turn to Jack. 

"Just so you know, I'm watching food network. So, ya." He just nods, and sits down on the opposite side of the couch. 

* * *

I don't know what I was expecting. Probably something a lot like this, actually. The deli looks normal, except all the chairs have been stacked on the side. A small table's been set to the side with the snack that Davey bought. Next to me, Jack sighs. 

"All in all, I think it's positively exquisite." He looks at me. "Don't you think?" I stifle a laugh. 

"Why yes. This must be the most sumptuous party I've ever been to!" Jack looks at me with a confused look. "Sumptuous means lavish. Opulent?" He's looking more confused by the second. I sigh. "Fancy?" He nods and we walk over to Medda. 

"Jack!" Medda embraces him. "Where've you been keepin' yourself, kid?" Jack smiles. 

"Never far from you, Miss Medda!" She bats away his compliment. "Thank you so much for letting us use the restaurant." 

"Oh, it's no problem. My pleasure. Listen, go, enjoy yourself!" She leans close to him and whispers something in his ear that makes him laugh. 

"I'll try, Miss Medda. Thank you." She smiles at us as we walk away. I try not to think about what she told him. It's none of my business. 

I spend the whole night dancing. Mike and Ike join us for the night. Crutchie DJ's for us. He's pretty good at it. Well, actually, he just found a Spotify playlist. But it's a good one. Whenever a slow song comes on, it seems there's always a race to see who can get to me the fastest. Everyone's gotten me at least once. Well, everyone except Jack. Then everyone else pairs up quickly. It's really quite hilarious. Especially when Spot and Davey ended up together. I was with Race during that dance, and we kept stepping on each other because we couldn't stop laughing. 

After a choreographed dance to footloose, I sit down next to Medda. 

"How are you, sweetheart?" I look at her. 

"I'm doing pretty good. How are you Miss Larkin?"

"Oh, come on now. Call me Medda." 

"Alright, _Medda,_ how are you?" She chuckles a little, and sighs. 

"You know what? I'm doing great. Those boys bring a light into this deli. It used to be so drab here. Thank you." 

I give a surprised laugh. "What did I do?" 

Medda smiles at me. "I see you with these boys. They look up to you. Like it or not, you're the closest thing to a mom most of these boys have had. I shudder to think where they might have ended up if it weren't for you." I feel a great rush of gratitude and love for this woman in front of me. I feel a tear slip slowly down my cheek. 

"Oh darling, I'm sorry. Did I say something wrong?" Her concerned face makes me laugh. 

"Oh, no. You've said everything right. It's just," I look around. "I lost my mom when I was little. Everything I do is for her. I've always wanted to be as great as her. And if what you say is true, then I know I've done good. Because these boys are _wonderful_." I look back at Medda, and I see tears in her eyes now. She takes me in her arms, and I find something familiar in her embrace. Something I've been desperately missing these last years. Seems like all my fears seem to seep through my fingertips into the hug. When I finally pull away, she smiles at me. I stand up, awkwardly. 

"I'm just, gonna, go get some snacks," I stutter. She smiles knowingly, and I walk away. Jack corners me near the snack table. 

"Hey," he whispers. "Come with me." He didn't give me time to argue before I was following him out into the back alley behind Medda's. 

"Jack, what-" 

"Shh!" He pulls a phone out of his pocket. 

I gasp. "You're not supposed to have that!" I hiss. He just grins at me. He starts scrolling. "Look, Jack, whatever it is you want, can't it wait?" 

"No no no! Please, can I do this now?" His eyes are filled with such a pleading, that of course I can't say no. I'm not a monster. 

"Fine. But make it quick, it's a little chilly." Jack's face lights up, and suddenly it doesn't feel so cold. 

"Okay. So, you _may_ have noticed me _kinda_ avoiding you all night." 

"Oh no, really?" I say sarcastically. He just soldiers on. 

"That was partly because I thought you were mad at me-" 

"I'm not mad at you!" I say, maybe a little too forcefully. But he breaths a sigh of relief. 

"Great. The other reason, is because I specifically wanted to dance to this song." He presses an earbud into my ear and the other into his, and he presses play. A soothing piano melody starts, followed by a soft voice. A guitar plays gently and we begin to sway. Nothing about this setting seems romantic. But. I don't know. Maybe it's the music. Maybe it's the thought put into it. But though I feel the cold air pressing against my back, I could swear that my face is melting. 

Slowly, I rest my head on his shoulder. A lifetime seems to spread in my mind. We could live here together, in New York. Happily. We could watch the boys grow up. And in this moment, everything can be perfect. A voice in my head tells me to stop. _This is just one moment,_ it says. 

But I refuse to let anything ruin this moment. Nothing can. We're in an impenetrable bubble of happiness. And as the final chord rings out, Jack gently lifts my face towards his. With my eyes in his, I feel as if something has changed in him. Or maybe it was always there, but I couldn't see it. There just a certain twinkle in his eyes. 

Slowly, I lean in closer. We're so close, I can feel his heavy breathing. I can smell his shampoo. I wrap my arms around his neck. Gently, as if asking permission, he puts his hands around my waist. You couldn't fit a pencil between our noses. And before I can talk myself out of it, I press my lips to his. I feel him stiffen, but the tension leaves almost as quickly as it came. It's so warm and comforting in his embrace, I feel as if I could stay like this forever. Then again, maybe I can. 

A loud bang echoes through the alley as the back door opens and Davey comes out. We quickly pull out of the kiss and separate ourselves. I really don't want to get teased by Davey right now, but the worry on his face makes me stop in my tracks. He's breathing heavily and his chest is heaving, as if he's just run a long distance. 

"Kathy," he pants. "It's your dad. He's here." 


	18. Jack's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MY FELLOW FANSIES!!! I apologize in advance. For either this being a sad chapter, or me being a horrible writer and not being able to portray sadness. But I really, truly hope I make you cry in this chapter. I really do. Sorry. :)

Nothing is working. My brain is still processing a few moments ago. I hear words, but they do not register in my brain. She kissed me! All by herself! Oh what a glorious moment. But now she's on the other side of the alley. Did I do something wrong? Oh, Davey's here. He looks worried. And why is he breathing so hard? Kathy looks worried too. Did I miss something? 

"What? What do you mean, 'he's here.' And no one calls me Kathy," she points out. Even in moments of crisis, she's still stubborn as a mule. 

"Wait, who's here?" I ask. Both heads turn to me. 

"Geez Jack, weren't you listening? Katherine's dad." Davey sounds exasperated. 

"Ya, what about him?" Davey throws his hands in the air in defeat. Katherine closes the gap between us, and takes my hands. Not in a cute, loving way. More like 'you're a child and you need to listen' kind of way. She looks me in the eye. 

"Jack. My dad." She nods to make sure I'm still with her. I nod back. "Okay, he- my father- is here." This time I understand, and I just know my eyes go wide. 

"You mean he's here, _at Medda's_?!" Katherine nods grimly. Davey hangs his head. 

"C'mon Kath, _erine,_ " he corrects. "He wants to see you." She nods again, and follows him inside, leaving me outside. I want to follow, but I also really _don't_ want to follow. I've never liked Katherine's dad, and he's never liked me. Really, he doesn't like any of us. He thinks his daughter should have more _sophisticated_ friends. And I love the boys, I really do, but we are anything _but_ sophisticated. 

I begin to pace the alley. Why is he here? Well, he's probably here to take Kathy away. _How_ is he here? I don't know. We took all the precautions. I me- wait, take Kathy away? Can he do that? She's 18, which means she is legally an adult and no longer under her father's jurisdiction. Right? _Right?!_

I run inside to find her. Everyone one looks so solemn, as if someone had died. 

"Where's Katherine?" I ask in a panicked voice. A few people look up, but only Davey answers. 

"You just missed her. Her dad's taking her to the apartment." I approach Davey, and everyone looks at me as if I'm about to smack him. Instead, I hold the palm of my hand out. 

"Keys," I say, barely audible. He quirks an eyebrow in confusion. 

"What?" 

"Keys! I need the keys!" I yell, probably louder than I needed to. He nods and starts fumbling in his pockets for his keys. 

"Jack," a voice says. I turn and see Spot holding the keys. I go to grab the keys from him, but he moves them out of my reach. 

"C'mon Spot, I gotta go!" I make to grab them again, but Spot eludes me. 

"Someone is going to need to come back and get these guys. Which is why I," he moves the keys again, "will be driving. Come on." Reluctantly, I follow him out to where the car is parked. The car feels like it's moving slower than molten lava, when really Spot is going 5 over. We arrive at the apartment, only to find that our parking spot is filled with a small rental SUV. Spot sighs and turns to me. 

"I guess this is where I leave you." He gives me a sad look. "Good luck." A lump in my throat prevents me from thanking him, so I just nod. I open my door and attempt to get out, but something holds me back. It's my seatbelt. My seatbelt holds me back. 

"You gotta-" Spot starts, as I struggle to unbuckle myself. He leans over to try and help, but I push him away. 

"I got it, I got it." But I don't got it. I throw my hands up in submission, and Spot helps. I straighten myself, and try to regain some self confidence. I nod to Spot. "Thanks." 

"Don't mention it." I turn and begin walking. "Hey, Kelly!" I turn around. Spot grins at me. "Go get her." I smile back, and head up to the apartment. 

* * *

Kathy's nowhere to be seen when I walk in. Her father however, stands in the middle of the great room like he owns the place. He turns when he sees me. He looks me over, and then sneers. 

"How are you, Mr. _Kelly_ ," he says with mock hospitality. 

"I'm well, Mr. Plumber. What, may I inquire, brings you to our humble abode?" I give him my best innocent smirk. If those two can even coincide. He sneers back. 

"It just so happens that I am here to pick up my daughter. She has to start school." I try to hide it, but surprise creeps into my features. "Oh, she didn't tell you? Katherine has been accepted at Vanderbilt this semester. And she is late for her first week of classes. I really should thank you, Mr Kelly. Without your help, she may never have made it back home." A sick grin creeps onto his features. His words rattle me. What did I do? I recollect myself, and fix a smug look on my face. 

"Well, I do hope you enjoy your stay with us. If you'll excuse me, I must retrieve something from my room." He sneers, and I escape to my room. But not before checking that the curtains were closed in the living room. 

* * *

Never before have I been so grateful for the balcony that connects the three rooms. I mean, I never _disliked_ it. But now it has provided me with a brilliant way to get to Katherine. And although the curtain is closed, I move as slowly and carefully as possible. I don't trust my luck enough to move carelessly. I tap softly on Katherine's window. I'm worried that she doesn't hear me, because I don't want to tap too loud. But she emerges, and opens the door for me. 

"What are you doing," she hisses. I give her a boyish grin, but it is quickly wiped from my face. The walls I had just seen her decorating the other day are now stripped bare, and all but half of a remaining suitcase are packed. 

"Hey," Kathy says softly. She laces her fingers through mine. "It'll be okay." She squeezes my hand, but it doesn't reassure me. I take my hand back and shake my head. 

"Kathy, you don't have to go," I rush. "You're 18 now, he doesn't control you, y-"

"Jack." She puts a finger to my lips. "I can't. I have to go." She cups my face in her hands, and I hold them to my face.

"You know I don't want to leave you. Or any of the boys. I love you all. But he's my father." I don't know when the tears started, but I can feel them silently streaking down my cheeks, and onto our hands. She's crying too now. I take my hands off hers, and wipe the tears from her face. She laughs, a sweet melodious sound. But it's tainted. Full of heartbreak and sorrow now. And those eyes, once filled with joy and fire, have been all but put out. I can see the longing in them, being taunted by my presence. But it is held back by the bands of restraint. By obedience, and compliance. And I know why she has to go. I just wish it weren't so. Who knows when the next time I'll see her will be. And so I kiss her. A deep and passionate kiss, to make up for all the ones we'll never have. I feel her tears mix with my own. I cup her face in my hands, and she reaches up to run her hands through my hair, knocking off my hat in the process. But we're torn apart by a soft knock on the door. Why is it that we are always interrupted?!

As if rehearsed, I drop to the floor and roll under her bed. Not a millisecond later her dad comes in, and it is suddenly too late to retrieve my hat. Which now lies right out in the open on her bedroom floor. 

"How is everything going in here?" I hear him ask. "Almost ready?" 

"Oh, yes. Just a few more things." I hear her sniffle, and I long to hold her and tell her everything will be okay. But it's her father's voice that comforts her now. 

"Oh, darling. It's not so bad. You'll see these boys again. Cheer up." He walks around to where my hat lies on the floor. "Is this yours?" 

"Oh, yes," Kathy says, not missing a beat. "It was a gift." I hear her suitcase zip up, and a thud as she sets it on the floor. 

"Come now. We don't want to miss our flight." The light from the hallway slowly grows smaller and smaller, until I hear the latch click. I stay under the bed for a moment, because her dad can't know I was in here. And it occurs to me that I won't be able to tell her goodbye. She's gone. I lay in the darkness, wallowing in my sadness until I hear the door open. 

"Jack?" A small voice calls out. I sit up, forgetting I was under a bed and hitting my head. 

"Ow," I groan, and Crutchie's face pops underneath. 

"There you are. We've been looking for you. C'mon, Katherine left notes for each of us." Slowly, I roll myself out from under the bed, and drag myself out to the living room. Everyone is gathered, and again I am reminded of a funeral. 

"Oh, Jack, you're here," Davey begins. "Katherine left us each individual notes, as well as one to the group, which I will read now." He lifts a piece of paper from the table. 

_Dear Spot, Davey, Crutchie, Race, Jojo, Albert, and Jack,_

_I am sorry to have to leave you, and on such short notice. I do not know when we will see each other again. But I retain hope that it is possible. I understand that many of you may question my decision to go with my father. But I have to go. As much as I would rather stay with you all, he is my father and I respect his wishes. But I love you all so much, and I wouldn't have traded these last days with you guys for anything. The long car rides, the sight-seeing, and adjusting to this new life was an adventure for all of us. And even though distance may separate us, I will always love and cherish you in my heart._

~~_Your friend_ ~~

~~_Your best friend_ ~~

_You sister, Katherine_


	19. Katherine's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! SO SORRY I know this chapter's a little late, I hit some writers block. Also, I understand that there may be more grammatical errors than usual, I had a headache. 
> 
> Also, full disclosure, I've never been to an airport, so, sorry. 
> 
> Anyway, please leave a comment!

The drive to the airport was a silent one. Dad brought my cell phone, so I was able to catch up on past messages. I told everyone that I was going to a student exchange program in the UK before I left. So there's not too many messages. Mostly from Darcie and Willa. If there was any reason to be sad for leaving Kansas, they're it. Darcie and Willa were pretty much my closest friends. They were the _sophisticated_ friends my dad pushed so hard for me to have. I wonder how I'm going to explain this to them. 

"C'mon honey, we're here." I slowly get out of the car, and grab my bags out of the trunk. The sun has set, and the sky is dark. It's got to be at least 10. Which would make it 9 back home. I turn to ask my dad the time, but remember that I have my phone. I pull it out and check the time. 9:47. I was close. 

Even though it's later, the airport is still busy. Personally, I don't like flying. I prefer driving. I know that statistically you're more likely to die in a car crash then a plane crash, but I just don't like heights. We take a seat in the lobby, waiting for them to start boarding. And another thing; airports are such a hassle! Like, in a car, you just pack up and go. You can't do that with a plane. Also, planes are more expensive. Really, cars are just all around better. But my dad would never stoop so low. 

That was how I lived. Everything was extra. We've always lived in a big house, even though we're a small family. We've always flown first class. We've always stayed in the best hotels. I would've attended a private school if my mom hadn't stepped in. But I still had many extra circulars. I took piano, ballet, calligraphy, you name it. I did enjoy that part of it. We just had so many luxuries. That's why these last weeks have been such a welcome change. Being poor for once. Maybe that sounds stupid. But for my dad, he bases things on how expensive they are. The more money he pays for it, the better it must be. That's why we always chose the opera over the movies. Always flew rather than drove. Always ate out rather than in. 

But that's not how it was, _is_ , with the boys. They make their own fun. That day with Jack, that wonderful day. That was the most fun I'd had in a long time. And you know what? It was free. Well, except for Chick-fil-A. But the rest was free. And we had so much fun. Sometimes, I just-. I just wish I could make my dad see that, ya know? But maybe some things just aren't meant to be. 

"Now boarding, flight 107 to Kansas City. Now boarding, flight 107 to Kansas City." 

"C'mon Katherine," my dad says. I pick up my carry on, and head further and further away from what made me happiest. Now, please, don't get me wrong. I love my dad, and we've had some good times together. There's just a point in life where I have to go my own way. Where I need to make my own choices. 

I take my seat on the plane, and hold my breath during take-off. After that, I try to get some sleep. Maybe all of this will have been a dream. 

* * *

It wasn't a dream. I wake to my dad gently shaking me awake. Through my disappointment, I manage to find some gratitude that I slept through landing. I check my phone. It's midnight. Which means that it's 1 in New York. Which means the boys are all asleep. Which means they won't answer if I text. So I shove my phone back into my pocket, and follow my dad through the airport parking lot to where the car is parked. Yet another thing that is a luxury. One that I personally enjoy. 

After loading my bags into the trunk, I drag myself into the front seat. Partially out of because I'm being over dramatically moody, and partially because I am _really_ tired. As we start the 30 minute drive back to my house, I debate whether I should try and sleep or not. My brain feels a little fried. I've finally gotten over the initial shock of leaving, but my brain is too sleep deprived to process anything. I try so hard to stay awake, but the gentle rain that begins falling lulls me to sleep. 

* * *

I wake as we pull into the driveway. It's raining harder now. I hurry to grab my suitcases out of the trunk, but I feel my dad's hand on my shoulder. 

"I'll get these. You go get some sleep." I nod, and rush inside. My bedroom looks the same as always. But a strange sense of nostalgia now lingers.I set my phone on my desk,and change into some PJ's. Then I take a walk around the room. You know that feeling when you get home from a long vacation? That's kind of what this feels like. The time I spent in New York felt like it lasted forever, but feels like a mere moment in time.

My dad comes in and brings suitcases, and I thank him. He crosses the room and approaches me. I think he's going to scold me, but he pulls me into a tight embrace. I feel myself melt in his arms. I missed his scent. I missed his gruff voice. I missed his hugs. 

"I love you, kitten," he whispers. Kitten. He hadn't called me that in a long time. 

"I love you too, daddy." He pulls away, and nods his head toward my bed. 

"C'mon. I'll tuck you in." I crawl into my bed, and he pulls the covers over me. He starts to walk out, but I stop him. 

"Dad?" He turns to me. "Will you- will you sing to me?" I'm a little scared of his answer, but his face breaks into a wide smile. 

"I'd love to." He pauses to think for a moment, and then clears his throat. 

_Edelweiss, Edelweiss_

_Every morning you greet me_

_Small and white, clean and bright_

_You look happy to meet me_

I don't remember the last time my dad sung to me, but his voice is even more beautiful than I remember. I close my eyes and let his singing lull me to sleep. 


	20. Jack's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey hey! Here's my new chapter. Not my best work, but still. I hope you like it, and please please leave comments! I'm always looking to improve my work.

The silence after Davey finishes is almost tangible. Nobody speaks. Nobody moves. The words of her letter echo in our minds. Finally, Jojo stands up and heads for the door. When he sees that no one followed him, he stops. 

"Come on guys, we gotta go get her!" There's a sense of urgency in his voice and something like fear in his eyes. 

"Yeah!" Race and Albert join him. I get up and walk over to them. 

"Ya, c'mon Jack, let's g-" 

"No, no. You guys don't understand. She _chose_ to go. We can't bring her back. She chose to leave. She- she-" I can't keep it together anymore, and I run down the hallway. In true Disney princess fashion, I throw myself onto the bed. Katherine's bed. I pull the covers over me and take in her familiar scent. The tears come hot and fast, falling onto her pillow. She _left_ us. She chose her father over us, her _father_!

I turn, and try to get some rest. But I can't, my brain won't shut off. It seems to be going through a slide show of my life with Kathy. The day we got stuck in Central Park, the days driving here. Our graduation day. Her birthday. Davey's graduation. The time I tries to get her to be my valentine. The day we met. On and on, the trip down memory lane turning to be a lot longer than I would've supposed. It all begs the question; why would she leave? Why weren't we enough? What does she see in her father? Maybe it's something I can't know. Growing up an orphan, I didn't really have a _family bond._ I had my boys. They were- they _are-_ my family. I'd do anything for them, and I know they'd do the same for me. Maybe that's how Katherine feels. 

On and on my brain goes, trying to make sense of everything that's going on. Crutchie comes in at some point, and he sets something on the desk. I don't get a good look at it before he climbs into the bed next to me. He takes my hand in his and looks me in the eye. 

"Are you okay?" I begin to nod, but I end up shaking my head. A fresh sob escapes me and Crutchie pulls me in close. I lay my head in his lap and let him comfort me, running his fingers through my hair. My sobs shake my whole body, and all the while Crutchie tells me that it's gonna be okay. Eventually my sobs fade into spastic breaths. And, eventually, I fall into a fitful sleep. 

* * *

I woke to sunrise streaming in through the window. Groggily, I get up and head out to the kitchen. Somethings off, but I push away the feeling. Everyone looks up when I walk in, eyeing me warily. It catches me off guard, but I ignore it and grab a donut out of the box on the counter. 

"Mm. Donuts. What's the occasion?" I ask, taking a bite. 

"Um, I just thought we could use something special today. A little pick-me-up," Davey says. 

"Oookay. If you say so." I take another big bite of donut and sit down at the small table. Crutchie gives me a sympathetic look. Spot, who usually shovels his food in, sits barely picking at his breakfast. Even Race, Jojo and Albert, who can usually be counted on to be loud and obnoxious, sit in silence. I push back my chair and stand up. 

"Alright, what is going on? You all are acting weird. What is wrong with you people?" Everyone exchanges looks, like a silent conversation without me. Finally, Davey looks at me. 

"Jack, do you remember what happened yesterday?" I think about it. 

"Yeah. Let's see, yesterday was Friday, so I had my job interview, got the job, went out for lunch with Katherine, we g- what?" Everyone had started another eye conversation. Davey crosses the room to me and sets a hand on my shoulder. 

"Jack, yesterday was Saturday." I chuckle. 

"Davey, did they bust up your brains or something?" I shake his head playfully. 

"He's telling the truth Jack," Spot intervenes. I turn to him. All the boys' heads hang defeated. I shake my head. 

"No, you guys are just messing with me. Where's Katherine, she'll set this straight." A new layer of sadness seems to fall on the room. "What, where's Katherine?"

"She- she's in Kansas. Jack, think really hard. Remember? Yesterday, her father. He came and he- and he-" Race trails off. I sit down, and a dam seems to break in my mind. Now I remember. How could I forget? Everyone seems to sag into their seats. Davey seems to take our defeat in stride though. 

"Hey guys, lighten up. No one died." I look up and him. He seems to realize he's said the wrong thing, and I see him shrink. 

"Is that what you're aiming for?" 

"I don't know Jack. We can't just sit here and wallow in self pity. Is that what Katherine would want?" 

"No, Davey's right." Albert says, standing up. "We can't just sit here and be sad. We have to keep going. Right guys?" 

"Yeah," Race says, standing up. Reluctantly, Spot follows. Crutchie soon joins them, and their familiar smiles return. Davey stands up and walks to Jojo, who up until now has remained in his seat. 

"C'mon Jojo," Davey says softly, extending his hand. "For Kathy?" Jojo stands up. 

"It's Katherine." He pushes past Davey to his room. Davey turns to us, fear and confusion in his eyes. I shrug, and head to Katherine's room. 

I sit down on the edge of the bed and take notice of something on the bedside table. I remember Crutchie setting something down last night. Now I see that they're two envelopes. One says Crutchie, and one with my name. I remember Davey saying that Katherine had written us individual letters. I pick up mine and feel it. Fairly light. I guess she didn't have a lot of time, especially if she had to write eight. I fidget with the edge of the opening, but eventually set it back down on the desk. I'm not ready to open it yet. 


	21. Katherine's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

When I wake up Sunday morning, I smell pancakes. I squint, the late morning sun lighting up my room. I look at my phone. 10:00. It is nice to sleep in for a change. I sit up and stretch with a yawn. I look around, and fall back into my bed. It's just too comfy. I'm beginning to drift off again when Dad comes in. 

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" I groan and sit up reluctantly. "Whoa, not so pretty when you wake up, are you?" I shoot him a glare, but it only makes him chuckle. He walks over and plants a kiss on my forehead. "I'm kidding, Kat. You're always beautiful." I hear him mumble a 'just not right now' as he walks out. I shake my head, laughing in spite of myself. I yank myself out of my comfy bed and get dressed for the day. A pair of jeans and a rust orange blouse. Nothing special. I try to tame the mess that is my hair, and eventually get it into a sort of half-pony. I head out of my room, finding that Dad is, in fact, making pancakes. He looks up when I walk in. 

"Ah, you're finally up!" I do a mental face-palm. 

"You only came and got me 10 minutes ago!" He laughs, and I sit down at the island bar. He sets down a fresh bowl of pancakes. Yes, bowl. I quirk an eyebrow up at him. 

"Kitchen sink pancakes?" I ask inquisitively. He winks at me and clicks his tongue. I head into the kitchen, searching for anything and everything to put on my pancakes. I return to my seat with chocolate chips, bananas, nutella, and vanilla ice cream. I decide that the best way to go about this is to make a sandwich, so I spread the nutella on two pancakes, and slice up the banana to go on one of them. I then proceed to cover it in the chocolate chips, followed by the ice cream and the second pancake. After a bit of struggle, I get a bite into my mouth, and I can't help the sound that escapes me. 

"Mmmm, oh iy 'osh dis ish 'o good," I mumble through a full mouth. Dad turns to look at me, and he laughs when he sees my creation. 

"Geez Katherine, you're going to give yourself a heart attack eating like that." I smile as best I can, and continue attacking my monstrosity. He sits down next to me, with a much tamer stack of pancakes. We eat in silence for a bit, and then Dad clears his throat. 

"So, Kat. I was thinking you and I could do something fun today." I look at him, swallowing the bite in my mouth. 

"Yeah? What'd you have in mind?" 

"Ah, I don't really know. I was hoping you might." I nod. 

"Okay. Maybe we could, like, go bowling or something?" 

"That sounds great. We can go whenever you're ready," he says, turning back to his pancakes. I do the same, slightly confused by Dad. He's been so . . . _fatherly._ He hasn't been like this since my mom died. Whatever the reason, it's a nice change of pace. 

* * *

"Ugh, when did you get so good?" My dad shakes his head in disbelief. 

"What're you talking about? I've always been this good," I scoff, with a complimentary hair flip. He laughs, and goes to take his turn. After few more turns, I win the game. Dad runs a hand through his hair. 

"Wow. You beat me good." I smirk, and take a sip of my milkshake. He sighs, and we eat our fries in silence for a bit. I catch Dad staring at me with a look of confusion. 

"What?" I ask. 

"Oh, nothing, just." He shakes his head. "Why did you come with me? You're 18, you could've stayed with your friends." I sigh. 

"Honestly, part of me felt obligated. You're my dad." I shrug. "It just felt like the right thing to do." He just stares into his own milkshake. Why _did_ I come home? I mean, I was fairly certain that my dad would make me come anyway. But maybe I wanted to mend things. Most of the boys don't have an family. Seems only right that I should cherish the one I have. 

Dad sighs across from me. "Honey, if-. If you want to go back to New York, you can." He winces as if this is actually painful to say. A smile grows across my face. 

"Really? You mean it?" He nods, and I run around and give him a hug. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you!" Dad smiles, but I can see the pain behind it. "But, if it's alright with you, I think I'd like to stay here a little longer," I say. He looks up, surprise in his eyes. He tries to hide it, but I can tell he's pleased. 

"Well, yeah, of course Kat. Whatever you want." I smile, and we finish our food. We talk, about nothing in particular. How fun New York was, and the drive there. How quiet things had been back home, per usual. We played a couple more rounds of bowling, both of which I won. We left in high spirits just before dinner. Arriving home I head for our theater room. 

"So, how about we watch a movie and order chinese for dinner? End our day with a bang?" Dad looks at me, worry leaking into his expression. 

"I, uh, I can't kitten." At my vacant expression, he continues. "I have a date?" He phrases it as a question, as if asking for my approval. 

"Dad, that's great!" He exhales, as if he'd been holding his breath. "I'm happy for you." He smiles at me. 

"I'm so glad you feel that way, Kat. I know," he hesitates. "I know things have been rough without your mom. And I know I wasn't the best father to you during that time. _This_ time." He crosses the room and puts a hand on my shoulder. "But, I'm trying now, okay?" I nod, not trusting my voice. He opens his arms, and I give him a hug. 

"I love you, Kat." 

"I love you too, Daddy."


	22. Jack's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew. I am only kinda sorry for this chapter. I don't know, maybe it won't bother you guys so much. But, like, I cried writing it, so. If you could leave a comment, it would mean the world to me! 
> 
> Enjoy!

Grudgingly, I go to work on Monday. I have nothing against my job. On the contrary, I find it quite enjoyable. Maybe I can't have as many creative liberties as I would like, but that's life I guess. It really doesn't bother me. What  _ bothers _ me, is that Katherine is in Kansas, and there's nothing I can do about it! I'm just frustrated. This was going to be my year. I was moving to the city! With my best friends, my  _ brothers _ . And Kathy. I was  _ finally  _ going to get the girl. And it was turning out so well! I got a job as an artist! My dream, my passion! And then Katherine  _ kissed me _ ! My life was on the up and up again! Makes me so frustrated! 

But you know what? It's not just about me. We all lost someone. Sorta. All of us are coping in our way, I guess. Of course, Race and Albert have been hard at work trying to figure out a way to get her home. Spot and Davey have seemed to have moved on with their lives. Not, like, forgetting her, but accepting that she left of her own free will and that we can't bring her back. Crutchie's kinda moved on too, I guess. But I think he still has that everlasting hope that she'll come back. Something that only Crutchie can emanate. The one who really worries me is Jojo. Jojo, the most exuberant and joyful person I know. Seriously, that kid is always excited about something. And know? He just seems so . . . deflated. I don't know what it is. But I've resolved to talk to him about it. It just- it just doesn't feel right. Jojo isn't like that. 

By the end of the day, I've got tomorrow's cartoon finished and a draft for Wednesday's done. On my way out, my new 'boss' stops me. Really, I couldn't have asked for a cooler boss. His name is Mr. Rose, but he insists we call him Ted. And he was really cool hiring me right out of high school with zero experience. 

"So, how was your first day with us Mr. Kelly?" He asks, clapping a hand on my shoulder. I offer what I hope is a convincing smile. 

"It was great. I really enjoy working here." By the look on his face, I don't think my smile was very convincing. 

"Sure doesn't look like you had a great day."

"Oh, it's nothing about working here. I really do like working here, just one of my friends had to leave rather unexpectedly, and it may be a while before I get to see her again," I say with a shrug. Ted nods knowingly. 

"Hmm. Well, I hope everything turns out all right with this,  _ friend _ ." He shakes my hand, and I head out. 

* * *

Dinner that night is a very,  _ awkward _ affair. Davey, bless his heart, tries his very best to keep the conversation going. Race and Albert are up to their usual antics, flinging pieces of the mac-n-cheese we're eating at each other with their forks. I eat about half of mine before turning in for the night. I've claimed Katherine's old bed as my own, so now everyone has their own bed. Except Race and Spot. 

After showering and changing into more  _ comfortable _ clothes, I flop down on my bed. I just wish there were a way I could contact Kathy. I mean, I guess I could write her a letter. But in this day and age, the young mind has grown so accustomed to instant gratification, something that sending a letter through mail cannot provide. Yes, I can be smart sometimes. I'm young, I ain't stupid. Anyway, letter writing's out of the picture. So my next best option is to send her an email with Davey's laptop. But I just feel like that's less  _ personal _ , and I'm pretty sure I don't know her email. I groan, and drag my hands down my face. If only there were some way I could  _ text  _ her, or even  _ call _ her. I guess I could always find a payphone. Though they seem to be growing pretty scarce these days. Me and Katherine got lucky last, Friday was it? Only three days ago. 

I sigh, and pull out my phone. But I didn't tell you that, because I'm not supposed to have it. I scroll through my Instagram, though there's nothing great on there. All the boys' phones were left with Mrs. Jacobs. One picture does catch my eye though. It's one of Katherine with her dad. They appear to be at a bowling alley. She looks happy. My initial reaction is one of anger. How can she move on so quickly? But I shove that thought away, making room for one pain. But, a good pain. You know? Like, maybe your favorite book or TV series just finished their final installment. You're sad that it's over, but it's still a happy thing. That's how I feel. I'm still upset that she had to leave, but at least she's happy. I sigh, and set my phone down. If only I could reach her! 

My brain feels as if it's been hit by a truck. A truck of enlightenment, of course. But a truck nonetheless. I pick up my phone, and shoot her a quick text. 

_ hey, how r u? _

I wait for a bit, but she doesn't answer. She's probably eating dinner or something. So I stow my phone away in my secret hiding spot, which I am not going to tell you about yet. Sorry, can't let you in on all my secrets. I decide to head out onto the terrace. 

Despite it being mid-September in New York, it's a warm night. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, taking in the city air. I sigh, and look at the clear night sky. Well, it's not really  _ night _ yet. The sun's just beginning to set, setting the sky ablaze in oranges and pinks. I lean against the railing, and close my eyes. Just let the city seep in. The smell of wet pavement. The sounds of people heading home after a long day at work. The feel of the cool breeze blowing through my hair. I allow myself to just  _ be.  _ To  _ dream _ . I've always been a dreamer. 

I don't remember much about my dad. It's not that I was too young, he just wasn't that interesting of a person. But we did love each other. And remember one time, he said to me 'Jack, you're a dreamer. Your mom was too. But dreaming's not going to get you anywhere.' We had a kind of 'tough love' relationship. I didn't mind. But it was then that I started hiding my love for art. Because artists never got anywhere. But I'll show him. 

I allow my mind to slip into a perfect life. One of love, and of not hiding your dreams. But that's the thing about being a dreamer. It's not that hard, really all you do is close your eyes. But once you open them it's over. Some made up world is all you'll ever see. And so I open my eyes. I sigh, and turn to head in. But a noise catches my ear as I'm closing the door. I pop my head out, and find Jojo sitting in the corner, crying silent tears. Well, almost silent. How I missed him, I don't know. Casually, I walk over and sit down next to him. 

"So, how are you Jojo?" He laughs, a pitiful half-sob half-chuckle. 

"I'm just great," he replies, his voice layered with sarcasm. I nod, and we sit in silence for a bit. Finally, Jojo breaks down. "I just don't get it!" He hugs his knees into his chest. For a kid with such long limbs, he sure can make himself incredibly small. I frown. Jojo crying isn't something I like. It makes me feel . . . sad. 

"What don't you get?" I wrap my arm around his shoulders, and he leans into me. 

"Katherine was my  _ mom _ , Jack. She was the  _ only _ person who even kinda filled that role for me." I nod knowingly. Jojo was one of the only boys who never had any parents, Spot being the other. Most of us knew at least  _ some _ family at one point or another. Sometimes it's easy to forget that the deepest pain is hidden behind the brightest smile. He sniffles before going on. 

"I know that my parents gave me up when I was born. They didn't, like,  _ die,  _ or something. And I had to come to terms with the fact that they didn't want me. And  _ you guys _ helped me see past that. That it wasn't my fault, that I was still someone special." He wipes his eyes before going on. "And so I made the best of my life. Made sure that everyone felt special, and wanted. Because no one deserves to feel any less." He pauses for a moment, and then breaks down completely. He starts sobbing, rocking his body back and forth. 

"Shh, it's going to be okay," I say, trying to comfort him and hide the tears that are starting to prick at my own eyes. He takes short, fast breaths, trying to calm himself down. 

"She, left, me," he cries, gasping for a breath between each word. "I, tried, so, hard, but, it wasn't, enough!" I can't help the tears streaming down my face now. It hurts me so much to see him this way, thinking so little of himself. I wrap both arms around him and hug him close to me. I run my fingers through his hair while he sobs into my shirt. When I can tell his breathing is starting to even out, I pull him away from me and look him in the eye. 

"Listen to me. Katherine  _ loved _ you.  _ Loves _ you. Just because she left doesn't change that." 

"But-" 

"But nothing. I  _ know  _ that she would never leave you if she didn't have to. Because you are the kindest, bravest, most specialist person I know." I smile, and he laughs a little. "C'mere." I wrap my arms around him again, and he rests his head against my shoulder. We cry together for a little longer, for no good reason. But maybe that in itself is a good reason. I think that sometimes you just need to cry. Because you didn't get that grade that you wanted. Because you always feel left out. Because you wonder if you'll ever be able to be something great. Because the world tells you it's impossible. Because  _ life isn't fair _ . And so we cry, and then we cry because we're not supposed to be crying. But at some point you've got to pick yourself up and keep going. Because life isn't going to wait for you. 

Eventually, Jojo stands up. 

"Thanks Jack," he says with a sniffle. I give him a sad smile and stand up as well. I hold my arms out, and hug him once more. 

"We all love you so much, Jojo. I wish there was some way I could show you that." He pulls away and smiles at me. 

"You already have." 


	23. Katherine's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAAAAA you guys I am SO SORRY! I know this chapter is really late, but I was procrastinating, and then my power was out for a while, and then writers block, and just AAA. The forces of nature did not want this chapter to be written. Which I think is silly, because I like this chapter. 
> 
> Anyhow, I hope you like it too!

Okay. Full disclosure, Hannah is awesome. Hannah, my dad's girlfriend. They've gone on two dates this week alone. The one on Saturday that you already know about, and they went out Wednesday night to go see a movie. And then he brought her home on Friday. Today. And even though I've only known her for 5 minutes, I just know that she's awesome. 

Hannah's pretty enough, I guess. I mean that in a good way. Like, she's not super-mega-foxy-awesome-hot, but she's far from ugly. Average height, not too skinny. She has really nice cheekbones. I don't know. She's pretty normal. Again, in a wonderful way. She's easy one the eyes. Except for one, prominent feature. One that I'm quite fond of. She has bright red hair. Just like mine. And I love it. 

My dad guides us through the house to the dinner table. He made dinner all by himself. I'll admit, I was a little worried when he told me about his plans for dinner. The basics is pretty much all he can do. Pancakes, mac-n-cheese. Things like that. But tonight he wanted to do pasta. Not, like, spaghetti. I wouldn't be so worried about that. He wanted to make a lasagna, with salad and homemade garlic bread. He took the day off work just to do it. I tried to offer my services, but he insisted that he do it on his own. So I stowed away in my room, trying not to worry. I mean, what was it to me? It was just dinner. Worse case scenario, we have to order pizza. Or buy a new house. But around 4, the scent of fresh baked bread wafted in through my door, and I couldn't resist a peek in the kitchen. 

My father is many things. Oddly enough, clean is not one of them. Organized, yes. But not clean. The kitchen was thoroughly dusted in flour. As was he. But sure enough, sitting on the counter was a perfectly baked loaf of bread. He's sliding a lasagna into the oven as I walk in. Thank goodness he didn't insist on making his own noodles. I'm sorry, but I just don't have that much faith in him. 

And now here we are! Hannah is here, and the food looks delicious. We all serve up and dig in, and I can't help but feel a bit proud of him. I mean, this food is good.

"Wow, Joe. This is excellent," Hannah says, voicing my opinions. I just nod, my mouth full. 

"Well I'm glad you like it." We eat in silence for a bit before Hannah clears her throat. 

"So, Katherine. Tell me a bit about yourself." I think while swallowing. 

"Well, what do you want to know?" 

"You know, like, what are your interests? Your hobbies. Who are your friends?" I smile a little, thinking about the boys. Hannah takes notice. "Hmm, maybe more than friends?" My dad groans and I can't help but snicker. 

"Take your girl talk elsewhere, I want to eat!" We laugh, and I turn back to the question. 

"Well, as to interests, I am really into writing, journalism specifically." Hannah nods, but offers no comment, so I press on. "And I do have quite a few close friends. I have a couple who still live here in Kansas City, um, their names are Darcie and Willa. We've pretty much been friends forever. And then I have some friends who live in New York. That's Race, Crutchie, Albert, Davey, Spot, Jojo and Jack." I can't help but smile when I think of them. 

"Crutchie? Race? Who named your friends?" I laugh. 

"Oh, yeah. Those are just nicknames. Um, Crutchie is Charles, Race is Anthony, and Spot is Sean." Hannah nods. 

"So, how did these friends come to be in New York?" Hannah asks, taking another bite of food. 

"Well, it was mostly Jack's idea. We got tired of boring old Kansas, so we decided to move to New York. City of dreamers, ya know?" Hannah gives me a knowing look as she takes a sip of her wine. 

"We?" I feel my face warm up ever so slightly. 

"Yeah, we." She gives me a piercing look, but doesn't press any further. 

We finish dinner with a little small talk. Dad informs us about a new car coming out, Hannah tells me a bit about herself. Apparently she works with Dad, in a managerial position or something. After dinner, Dad comes to a shocking realization. 

"I forgot to make dessert!" I stifle a laugh, and I can tell Hannah is too. 

"Well, why don't you go get something?" I suggest. 

"Yeah, leave me and Katherine to talk about girl stuff." I snigger, Dad already grabbing his coat. 

"Okay, okay. I can take a hint, I'm leaving. Any preferences?" 

"Oh, oh! Can you go to that pastry shop off of church street?" Dad nods, and grabs his keys off of the counter. 

"Will do. I'll be back in a bit. You two try not to get too close okay? I don't really fancy dating my daughter's best friend." Hannah rolls her eyes. 

"Get out of here," she says, pushing him out the door. He raises his hands in submission, and heads out the door. She laughs and collapses next to me on the couch. 

"Okay, time to spill. I know there's gotta be someone you got your eye on," Hannah says with a mischievous glint in her eye. 

"Okay, so maybe there is someone. Kinda. Maybe. It's complicated." I shake my head, wondering what was actually happening between me and Jack. I mean, surely it would've been something if I were still there, right? But I guess that's just it. I'm not still there. 

Hannah interrupts my train of thought. "Okay, complicated. That always means there's a story, so tell me everything." I smile, thinking about the story I'm about to launch into. 

"Okay then. Well, first things first, I guess. His name is Jack." 

"Jack, as in, the boy you followed half-way across the country so he could chase his dreams? That Jack?" I stifle a laugh. 

"Yeah, that Jack. Anyway, I kinda always knew he liked me, but I didn't really bother with him, because I knew he'd get over it quick. It's not his fault, really, he's just a lover boy by nature. But then, one day, we went out for lunch-" and I launch into the whole 'we accidentally walked across the city' ordeal. I made sure to include all details, including falling asleep next to him on the couch. A full grin has spread across my face when I finish, and Hannah low-key looks like she might explode. 

"OH my gosh, that is so adorable! Is there more to this story? Oh please tell me there's more." I snicker. 

"Yeah, there's more." I tell her about the alleyway, about our dance under the stars. About our kiss that was so rudely interrupted by Davey. About how he came to see me before I left, and we got interrupted again. I sigh, tears threatening to fall. 

"So, that's that." I try for a smile, but my heart's not in it. Hannah returns mine with a sad smile, but her eyes light up quickly. 

"Oh, do you have a picture? I wanna see what he looks like!" A real smile comes to my face, and I pull out my phone, trying to find a good one. But, to be fair, they're all good ones. I mean, it's Jack. I settle for one that we took on our graduation day. His infectious smile lights up the screen, and I feel a smirk creeping up the corners of my mouth. 

"Oh, he's cute. What is he like, does he play football? A musician maybe?" My smile grows wider. 

"He's an artist." Hannah nods as her smile grows. 

"Well, I think he's a keeper. Even if he's in New York." I turn from the screen towards Hannah. 

"You think so?" 

"Oh, darling. I know so."


	24. Jack's POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. I'm sorry, it's been a long week(s). But this chapter is here now. Hope you like it!

_ hey _

_ Hey _

_ wyd? _

_ Nothing much. Dad's gf is over for dinner. _

_ she nice? _

_ The nicest. I think you'd like her. _

_ guess ill just have to drive back 2 kansas _

_ I guess so _

I set my phone down, not really sure where to go from that. My eyes shift over to the envelope that's sitting on my desk. It's been a week, and I still haven't opened it. I don't even know why, it's not as if it's my last remaining message from her. Clearly. Maybe it's because it's bound to be something really heartfelt and mushy. But then why wouldn't I want to open it? I groan and roll onto my stomach, plopping my face into the pillow. I roll back over a couple seconds later, realizing that it's quite hard to breath through a pillow. I look at the time. 10:07. Which means it's just past 8 in Kansas. I pick my phone back up, and begin to type a message when one comes through. 

_ She wants to see you _

_ ok, that didnt sound creepy at all _

_ Shut up _

A small laugh escapes me, but a lump in my throat quickly smothers it as I see the incoming facetime request from Kathy. This whole week, I hadn't thought to facetime. Or even call her, for that matter. I shove my guilt aside and accept the call. Katherine's smile greets me, and I feel my cheeks heating up. I will myself to be cool though, and I give her my best nonchalant smirk. 

"Hey, Kathy." She glares at me. 

"Hey Jack. And quit calling me that, Hannah will get ideas!" I'm confused for a second, and then I remember the reason she called. Hannah must be her father's girlfriend. 

"Oh, I would never take that away from you guys, that's clearly a thing," an off-screen voice says. I think my face might actually melt, and I'm relieved when I can see that Katherine's face is a deep shade of red too. The video moves, and suddenly another person is looking at me. Her bright red hair is done up into a messy bun, but like, a nice one. If that makes sense. She has the face of someone you don't want to cross, but right now she looks inviting. She pushes her glasses up her nose, and leans in real close to the camera. 

"Hi, you must be Hannah." She smiles, and my heart flutters a bit.

"That's me. And you must be Jack. I've heard  _ all _ about you." I quirk an eyebrow. 

"You have?" She nods. 

"Yep. And I must say, you do not disappoint." I laugh as the video goes all frantic, and then I see Kathy again. To my delight, her face is a shade of red near to that of her hair. She's glaring at Hannah, and I take this time to get in my two bits. 

"Aww, did you miss me Kathy?" Her glare is directed at me now, and I literally have to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. But I hear Hannah snicker off screen and that's all it takes for me to start laughing too. She rolls her eyes so hard, I was surprised when they didn't roll right off her face. 

"Bye Jack, I'll talk to you later." Hannah whines. 

"C'mon Katherine, let me say goodbye to your boyfriend!" She groans, and Hannah's face appears beside her's. 

"Bye Jack! You be good and take care of all those other little friends of yours!" I chuckle a little. 

"Will do, Hannah. Bye Kathy!" I hang up quickly before she can protest my use of a nickname. The grin on my face takes a long time to slip off. A loud sigh brings me out of my head in a harsh manner. 

"Jeez, don't scare me like that!" Crutchie sits up in his bed, and I try to remember how long he'd been there. 

"You two are so made for each other, why can't you guys see that?!" I shake my head. 

"Oh, trust me Crutchie. I see it. Katherine. . . might see it, I don't really know. But fate won't hear any of it." His eyes slide off the ceiling and look toward the desk. I follow his gaze and my eyes land on the envelope. I sit staring at, wondering what's inside. Well, technically it's just paper and ink. Or graphite, I guess, but my name's written in pen, so. But that aside, that's all it is. So then why haven't I opened it? What could she possibly write that would be so terrible? Crutchie's voice pulls me out of my stupor.

"I can't believe you still haven't opened it. What are you waiting for?" I shrug. 

"The words to magically implant themselves in my brain so I don't actually have to read it." Crutchie chuckles and shakes his head. 

"C'mon, Jack. It's probably the same old stuff you'd normally get." I frown. 

"What do you mean?" 

"I mean, it's probably all  _ 'I'll miss you'  _ and  _ 'you've changed my life' _ and  _ 'this isn't goodbye.' _ That's what mine was mostly. And of course, the list of attributes she likes. That's how they all go." He shrugs. "You should open it." I sigh, and painfully, I walk over to the desk and grab the envelope. Crutchie's right. What am I so worried about? 

Agonizingly slow, I peel the envelope open. I pull out the single page. I was right. It is written in blue ink. 

_ Dear Jack,  _


End file.
